Burning Bright
by JamesSunderlandsPillow
Summary: Bow is very ill, and his only chance of recovery comes in the form of a very rare root that can only be found deep in the Whispering Woods. Adora and Glimmer embark on an emergency mission to collect one, but they'll discover what makes the darkest part of the forest just so dangerous… (I do not own She-Ra and The Princess of Power.)
1. Chapter 1

**Hey there, thanks for checking this out. Before we start, a few things to note. This is an idea I've had since before Season 4, but after seeing it and all of its glory, I decided to work this into my idea for where I think the show will head after the upcoming Horde Prime arc. So yeah. Consider this an AU, I guess.**

**Other than that, there are some major S4 spoilers here, and this thing stems from my love of survival horror games. So if you're a fan of those, hopefully you'll like this. And even if you're not, I think it should be enjoyable. I hope so at least.**

**Last thing, but I'll be posting this in chapters instead of all at once. I'd say between 4-5. Maybe 6. We'll see.**

**But yeah. Without further ado, thanks again for checking this out, and please enjoy!**

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**Burning Bright**

"It's getting worse."

Bow didn't get sick. Maybe it was just good genes or the way he prided himself on good health and wellness, or just good fortune. Even when Glimmer or the other denizens of Castle Bright Moon would get colds or stomach flus, he would somehow manage to stay well, even going as far as to help use his strength to help tend to the sick. She wishes that could be the case today. She really does…

She has enough to worry about now. She's the Queen of Bright Moon. She's the leader of the Princess Rebellion. She has the Horde to contend with on top of making sure the people of her kingdom are happy, healthy, and safe. But all of that seems to muddle the back of her mind as she can't help but only concentrate on the immediately pressing matter of her best friend lying comatose in the bed beside her…

"_It's getting worse." _Those words ring through her head like the same bells that tolled for her mother and father. They certainly send the same crippling fears through her veins. She's lost so many people now, just the thought that Bow could possibly be next…

In times of crisis, she's learned to act pragmatically. It's important not to let the fears control her. She's shrewd, she's capable. She isn't just the Queen because of her blood, no. She's led the kingdom far longer than she's worn her crown, and it's because when things look their darkest, she forces herself to shine. That's why she refuses to sit and idle any longer while doctors poke and pry at her best friend _trying _to figure something out.

"What did you mean it's getting worse?" she assertively asks the lead physician. They aren't sure how to respond to her sudden question at first, almost as if they didn't hear it clearly. But patience isn't her strong suit, and she offers little of it to their looks of confusion. "Answer me! What did you mean it's getting worse?!" she demands to know, commanding their respect and their very best effort.

They shake themselves of their newfound anxiety to address her question. "His condition is stable at best. He's still breathing normally, but his health is slowly deteriorating," the doctor explains.

The explanation far from satisfies her. "So why can't you help him?! Why is he still like this?!" she blurts out, her frustrations boiling over.

"Your highness, please calm down. We're doing the best we can," the second doctor tries to elaborate. "The issue is that we've never seen anything like this. Whatever his primary ailment is, we can't find any direct cause. It's almost as if this is some sort of… new disease."

"New disease?!" Glimmer doesn't want to get mad with them. She knows their help is better than nothing. But hearing that they can't fix things for Bow just makes her so upset, so angry. "You're supposed to be the best in Bright Moon! And you're telling me you can't even find a way to help him because you've- you've never dealt with this before?! Think of something!" she yells, grabbing them by the sleeves of their coat.

"Glimmer, calm down," a familiarly stern voice calls. The Queen turns to see that it's her good friend Adora, the worry wearing well on her face. Her eyes have brown circles under them, her lips rigidly frown. Her usually pampered blonde hair is frizzy and unconditioned, hurriedly put into its signature ponytail. While Glimmer might be the person most distraught over Bow's illness, Adora definitely feels her own grief over their fellow Best Friend Squad member's condition.

She tries her best to conceal it though as she focuses on Glimmer and the doctor. "They're doing the best they can," she assures her friend as she rests a comforting, empathizing hand on her shoulder. It's unusually cold and clammy, maybe because of the cool autumn weather she's endured on her way here. But even then, Glimmer feels warmth from her touch. It's enough to help her relax just enough to stop lashing out on these poor doctors, to remind her that she doesn't face this pain alone.

Adora can see the anguish clear as day in her Queen's face. Her weary eyes hang low, her young face has never seemed more tired, almost the way Angella's used to be when things were troublesome."Excuse us, doctor," she turns to tell the lead physician before guiding Glimmer out into the hallway to get her to herself.

She's unable to compose the things she wants to say at first as she finds her eyes following Glimmer's, fixing them back on Bow as he rests almost lifelessly in the bed. It's a reminder that, just when things might seem to finally be turning in their favor, they can't take anything for granted. Not the fact that they somehow managed to escape Horde Prime's armada, or that they somehow managed to save Scropia, Entrapta, King Micah, and even Catra from the Horde's actions. Not even her Sword of Protection, the one she lost once, the one she tried to use to help heal her friend… to no avail.

She's felt a divide between herself and Glimmer before. She won't let it happen again. That's what makes her swallow everything bothering her, enough to at least try and help give her friend the comfort she needs right now. "Hey, look at me," she starts as she brings her finger to Glimmer's chin, gently coercing her into a mutual gaze so that she can see the empathy in her tired eyes. It doesn't seem that she's in any mood to refuse or argue either as she focuses on Adora, letting the other woman take the lead this time. Maybe because she's tired, maybe because she just feels vulnerable. Maybe even because she doesn't want to ever feel a divide with her again either. It all plays a part in the way she finds it so easy to only listen to Adora's voice, to only look into her eyes. "We're going to fix this. I know I say that a lot, but I really mean it. We're going to figure out a way to help Bow. No matter what it takes," she promises, her voice vehemently expressing her belief in these words.

As easy as it is to trust in Adora now, even after everything that's happened, she's only able to believe in the sentiment. "How? How do we fix this?" she quietly responds, almost whispering. She doesn't get excited like with the doctors. There's no point in shouting. Not when she knows Adora means well, and not when she knows that… things might be hopeless.

It pains Adora to see any willingness to give up without a fight in the violet eyes of her hero. Glimmer, the girl who paid the ultimate price to channel the Heart of Etheria's magic, the girl who was willing to trust Shadow Weaver of all people to try and save her kingdom, her friends, more than once. The same things that have brought them pain have brought them closer together, just like the day they first met and she decided to give She-Ra, to give _Adora _a chance. No one is braver, no one cares enough to make sacrifices the way she does. Especially for the people she loves.

So how can she seem this listless when it's Bow, her true best friend, is the one in need? Is life that unfair? No, Adora refuses to believe it. There must be something she can do. Something _they _can do. "I- I don't know, Glimmer. I don't know," she starts softly, but she firms her resolve as she takes her by her hand. "But I won't give up. Not on Bow, not on you guys. I love you too much to let anything happen."

Love. That's a word Adora seldom uses. Glimmer's heard her say it about parties, about fighting, about out-drinking Sea Hawk. But even after so much time together, and knowing that the care between them is very real, she still finds inner confliction hearing her say that. That she loves them. That she loves her. Maybe under different circumstances, it would be easier to just concentrate on how that could make her feel really warm, almost in a way her parents have made her feel. Like it's something she's needed and wanted for a long time. But in this moment, her defeatist mentality plagues her. The negative thoughts flood her mind in droves, almost bringing her to tears again.

"What else can we do? The doctors have tried everything. You couldn't even heal him with your powers," she says, reminding Adora of her failure. She doesn't mean to make it hurt, but it still leaves pain in her chest to be reminded of that. But she must be strong, and she must be brave. She fights the pain to keep listening to Glimmer, to try and think of anything else she can do to make things right. It isn't so easy for Glimmer though as her heart bleeds on her sleeve. "I don't even know how this happened. Did someone cast a spell on him? Did he touch something that made him like this? Why are people always getting hurt? Why can't I do anything to help them?" she spirals, her eyes almost welling to full tears, her arms almost reaching out to surrender to the desire to just cry in Adora's embrace.

And she would let her. Nothing in all of Etheria could stop her from doing anything to make Glimmer feel better. But right now, she doesn't need tears. She needs strength. "It's not your fault. You couldn't have done anything to control this," Adora assures her, using her other hand to take her by her cheek. Just in case she does cry, so she can wipe the tears away. And they almost come. Almost.

But their alone time is interrupted by the sound of Entrapta's feet rushing over to them, then her voice calling out. "Adora! Glimmer!"

She seems her usually excitable, eccentric self, even with the situation. That doesn't earn her any admiration from Glimmer, but Adora's curiosity is piqued with her sudden arrival. "Entrapta? What's wrong?" she simply greets.

"Nothing's wrong! Well, okay, actually, I've been meaning to ask. Should I call you _Queen _Glimmer? Or is just Glimmer okay? Because I've noticed some of the other people in the castle calling you that, and sometimes things like 'Your Majesty' and 'Your Highness.' Which is weird considering you're actually pretty short," she rambles on until Adora cuts her off, hoping to beat another Glimmer outburst.

"Entrapta! Focus!" she sternly instructs, and the Princess of Dryl is quick to take heed.

"Right, right. Sorry," she apologizes before getting back on track. "It's about Bow. I think I might know how to help him!"

The announcement strikes like a bot's blow to both girls' chests, particularly Glimmer. "What?" she utters, the disbelief almost numbing her.

Seeing that her emotions might once again get the better of her, Adora takes initiative to ask more. "Entrapta, are you serious?"

"Always! Now hurry, we don't have much time!" she answers quickly, disappearing into Bow's care room almost as quickly as she showed up. It baffles the other two with how abruptly she's made herself known with such an important claim, but they don't waste anymore time dwelling on it. They do as Entrapta said and hurry their way in behind her to catch her greeting the doctors in her own unique way, which includes grabbing a looking glass and using it to study the ear of one of them.

"Princess, it is… Well, we see you," they start, deciding not to even try and be nice. Before anyone can say anything to steer the conversation anywhere other than Bow though, Glimmer puts her foot forward.

"Entrapta, you said you know how to help Bow. Explain yourself," she commands.

"Yes, please do," the other physician agrees with surprise in their eyes, prompting Entrapta to put all her concentration (at least for the time being) on the emergency.

"Oh, right!" she begins before pulling up her tablet, opening a screen to display for the others with the image of what would appear to be some sort of herb. "This is a Sinzu root. I learned about them several minutes ago while looking into medicinal botany. I wasn't sure if I could find anything that would lead us anywhere in helping Bow, but I'm sure glad I did! This thing looks promising!" she proclaims.

Before anyone can ask her to elaborate further, Glimmer speaks her mind about another concern. "You were… researching ways to help Bow?"

"Of course. He's my friend," she answers, almost as surprised to hear this as Glimmer was her revelation. "This surprises you?"

Adora decides to answer on their behalf, tactfulness gracing her this once. "Just… I think it will make him happy to hear that," she says, looking to Glimmer for her blessing. Her eyes say more to affirm this sentiment than words would deem necessary, so they move on to the next topic of discussion at the advance of the doctors.

"A Sinzu root. I've never heard of it. What makes it special?" they ask.

"This is the good news! While I was unable to deduce just what led to Bow falling ill in the first place with the information I had, I was able to use it to verify the important part. Fixing his condition," she starts again, earning the undivided attention of the others in the room. "If my theory is correct, and they almost always are, then the root should be able to reverse the effects of his disease, bringing him back to his usual, happy, healthy self!"

It takes some slow burning seconds for the information to fully register for the others. But once the idea that this strange plant could possibly cure Bow manifests, Glimmer becomes attached with little hesitation. "So the root could save him…" she thinks aloud, the aspiring hope evident in her voice.

Adora sees this, and it makes it impossible for her not to want to feel the same way. So with another grace of tact, she follows up to develop a plan of action. "So you say there's a chance. That's good enough for me," she begins. "Where could we find one of these roots?"

Entrapta smiles just as exuberantly as ever as she answers, "In the Whispering Woods, actually!" which makes it even easier to give in to the temptations of getting hopes raised for both his best friends. Glimmer even smiles a little with that statement.

"The Whispering Woods? That's- We could-" she babbles, unable to articulate her racing thoughts into proper words. Seeing her get this way makes Adora reluctantly smile too, despite the lingering doubts that this may not be as good as it seems in the back of her mind. She keeps those thoughts to herself though, eager to hear anything else Entrapta might have to say before jumping to conclusions.

"Where in the Whispering Woods?" she asks, only to be piggybacked by one of the doctors.

"I find it hard to believe that a plant so close to our home could elude our knowledge. We've been practicing medicine for nearly fifty decades between the two of us," they say.

"Well, it doesn't grow in very many places. It's a very rare plant that only grows in dark, cold areas," she begins. Those words alone are enough to deflate some of the air in the Princesses' sails, and they can only feel worse about it with the information they hear next. "The only local nesting grounds for the root are in the southernmost parts of the Woods."

The doctor's face says more than his words can with how wide their eyes become, with how pale their skin begins to get. "Oh no…"

The air of the room becomes heavier with the contagious distress, taking effect on Glimmer and Adora as they pay mind to them. "What? What's wrong?" the former asks.

"The Forbidden Forest," they simply say, a thousand yard stare coming over them. It makes everyone else uneasy to see their sudden shift in demeanor, fear seemingly paralyzing them. Well, everyone except for Entrapta.

"That's not a very creative name," she bluntly whispers to Adora, who meets her comment with a scornful glare before shifting her attention back to the doctor.

"Doctor?"

They remain silent for a moment longer as they lose their self in thought, only breaking free from the nebulous when their partner rests a concerned hand on their shoulder. Once they come back to though, they find it much easier to elaborate. "The Forbidden Forest earned its name for being a no man's land in the Whispering Woods. No one goes there because no one comes back from it."

"How have I never heard of this?" Glimmer thinks, familiar senses of uncertainty and agitation coming over her. This isn't the first time she's learned a secret that people in the kingdom have kept from her.

"It's a story the royal guard wouldn't tell you," the doctor proceeds. Their heart is visibly heavy as they do, their eyes looking more to the floor and walls than the others. "I had… a lover, once upon a time. They were part of a battalion that went into the forest as part of a rescue mission. No one returned," they explain. The others begin to feel the same sadness, any impatience or frustration being subjugated because of this. Despite the pain they reexperience thinking back to these memories, they continue on, hoping to shed light on an otherwise dim situation. "It wasn't until a few months later that word spread of a shaman escaping the forest. They claimed that the place was ruin with the bones and ashes of everyone unfortunate enough to step foot in its wasteland. That there were these… monsters that inhabited the trenches..."

For most people, this news would be enough to make them abandon all hope. For Adora though, she begins to feel a fire igniting inside of her. "I've heard these kinds of stories from Shadow Weaver as a kid in The Horde. Some of them proved to be… exaggerated," she says, earning a bit of a scowl from the doctor. She sees this, and does her best to remedy any misgivings. "Sorry, I don't mean to offend you. It's just, this is Bow here. And I've faced every threat Etheria has had to offer me. I'm not going to let a horror story keep me from going and doing whatever I can to help my friend."

"I understand your position. Believe me, if I could have done anything to help my-" the doctor begins, losing their gumption to finish their response. They don't falter completely though. Not with a life on the line. "The point is, I'm not trying to tell you what to do. I'm only trying to give you fair warning."

"And I appreciate it. I appreciate all that you've done for us today, Doctor," Adora assures them before reigniting those flames new to her core. "But you've said yourself you've reached your wit's end. If the only thing standing between us and saving Bow is this Forbidden Forest…"

"Adora, are you saying what I think you're saying?" Glimmer interrupts, too anxious to let her finish.

Seeing the desperation from her friend gives her the certainty she needs. "I'm going to the Forbidden Forest. If there's even a small chance that Entrapta is right about this root, I'm willing to take it. No matter what the odds are."

"You know, I wish I could be that brave. I mean, I like Bow a lot, but these odds don't seem to be in your favor," Entrapta chimes in with her signature brand of blunt honesty.

Adora isn't impressed though. "When are they ever?"

Glimmer empathizes with this poor Doctor more than they'll probably ever know. She knows all too well what it's like to lose loved ones. Enough to also feel the same fires burning inside of Adora. "I'm coming with you," she gravely states.

"Glimmer," Adora begins, but before she can get another word in, Glimmer presents her case.

"Before you can argue with me, listen," she starts, doing her best to keep her emotions in check with a deep breath. "I've made a lot of mistakes. I know that. I still feel really bad for them, But you said it yourself. This is for Bow. And I'm not going to let you go out there alone. I won't sit back and watch another of my friends- another person I love, end up… like this."

She wants to cry. She wants to be able to just scream and shout and get upset. But she's learned all too well that that doesn't fix anything. Change takes action, and to help the ones she loves, she can't let herself go. All she hopes is that Adora can see she really feels this way.

"Please," she beseechingly adds, desperation clear in her soft voice.

Little does she realize just how much Adora can see that same fire inside of her, how much she respects it. "I wasn't going to argue with you. I know you well enough to know that you'd want to come along," she begins, offering a soothing tone to let her know she says this because she cares. She can't ignore her other true feelings though. And she won't with so much at stake. "But now you listen to me. First, we need to do this my way. I've learned more about tracking and survival with The Horde. I trained my whole life for these kinds of missions," she pragmatically dictates, hoping to sound more assertive than callous. Regardless of whether or not Glimmer agrees with it or not, she decides she wants to show more compassion though. If only to selfishly admit how she feels. "And second, everything you said… Just know that I refuse to let anyone else I care about, anyone else I love, get hurt either. Especially you."

None of this is easy. Not just Bow's critical situation, but trying to reach middle ground with each other after everything that could have drifted them apart. Yes, they've come back together after the struggles with Hordak and Catra's army. And they've done well enough to co exist. But only now does it truly feel like they can finally get back on the same page about things. Only now can they look each other in the eyes to realize that despite the darkness, they still can find a way.

Glimmer's even able to smile about it.

"Then we stick together. Have each other's back."

Seeing that smile of hers after so long warms Adora's heart almost like nothing ever before. It empowers her, makes her feel like making things right is actually possible. For both of her best friends.

"And we do this for Bow."

"For Bow," Glimmer agrees, wearing her smile just as warmly as Adora returns one of her own. It's a good feeling to know that, despite everything, at least things seem to be getting better with her.

With that, the decision is made. They're not going to stay and let the opportunity to be heroes slip them by. "Entrapta, give us the coordinates we'll need to find this root," Adora requests.

"Oh, absolutely! I can't wait to research one of them!" she excitedly answers, earning some glowering from the other Princesses. She's quick to try and save some face though. "Oh, and rescue Bow from certain death, of course."

Pleased with her attempt at least, they simply meet her with affirming looks, then go to make their way out of the care room. Before leaving though, they rest their eyes back on Bow. In his current state, it's hard not to feel heartbroken. But together, they do their best to imagine what it was like for him to be there with them, fighting by their side as the third member of the Best Friend Squad. Better yet, they imagine how he'll be once they make him better. Not if, but _when. _They don't need to voice this either. They just meet each other's eyes again, conveying this sentiment with a powerful mutual gaze. One that doesn't overstay its welcome as they both realize time is imperative.

However, before they can begin their new quest, the lead physician calls to Adora. "Adora, wait," they tell her. She meets their plea with respect, only looking to them and waiting to hear what they have to say to her, good or bad. But there's no ill will with any feelings shared. Only a piteous gaze, and the quiet plea of "Please be careful."

She has no words to offer. None would likely suffice. Instead, she just nods, doing her best to show that these words won't be ignored or forgotten.

As they leave the room, Glimmer and Adora silently consider the circumstances. They're going to go to a dangerous place they've never gone before, one that promises a threat so great that only one person has managed to live and tell about it. It isn't an entirely foreign concept for either of them. They've traveled the Crimson Waste, Beast Island, and even outer space to do what's necessary for the fate of Etheria.

But this is different. They don't have an army this time. The world isn't in danger. Their issue is much more intimate, much more contained. The only lives on the line are Bow's and each other's.

It doesn't scare them, though. Yes, they worry. About the questionable root, the supposed monsters of the Forbidden Forest, the fear of the unknown shrouds them. But they don't feel alone. Together, for the first time in a very long time, they feel like they truly have someone to depend on.

"Are you ready?" Adora asks Glimmer, almost hesitant to. What if she's imagining things? What if she still feels resentment towards her for all the pain of the past? Is she trying too hard to be civil for someone only interested in the responsibility of doing what's right?

Her doubts are subsided as Glimmer smiles once again though, warming her up with a new fire. One she hopes to never extinguish. "You're by my side. I have nothing to be afraid of."


	2. Chapter 2

Glimmer isn't a weak Princess. She's proven this more than once in the battlefield. But all powers have their limits, and in her case, her teleportation can only send her so far. She _might _be able to get a decent amount of the way to the Forbidden Forest from her castle using this power, but taking Adora with her would be far too strenuous. Luckily, modern technology helps them where magic cannot, and the Rebellion has an armada of Skiffs readily available to any troops, or Princesses, in need of one.

Adora just so happens to be a pretty good driver too, when Catra isn't around at least. So with nothing but their powers and the Sword of Protection, they venture south, speeding through the Whispering Woods as well as they can to get to the infamous Forbidden Forest.

There's nothing said between the two as they choose to focus their thoughts on the mission ahead. Both women consider similar possibilities about where it could take them. What makes the Forbidden Forest so dangerous? Are they truly prepared? Is it something as simple as mythical creatures, or something far worse? Is it like the Crimson Waste, a place made out to be uninhabited but actually made home to hardened criminals and deviants? They don't know, but they do know that it's not long before they find out.

That doesn't scare them. What scares them is the idea that their best friend is in grave danger. And for Glimmer especially, there's much more to fear regarding the people she loves. It's all she can think about as she looks to the red and purple painting of a dawning sky. She stares into its colorful void, images of pain and suffering flooding her mind's eye. Bow, her friends, her parents…

Adora.

It's her that loosens the noose where she hangs her head. She turns to face her, feeling that her eyes have been on her a while longer. For how long, she isn't sure. But she knows she's been watched. More than anything, it makes her feel guilty. Like she's done something wrong.

But Adora doesn't offer judgment. Instead, she weakly smiles, hoping to show the same signs of optimism they were able to share back at the castle. After all, it was Glimmer to say that they had nothing to be afraid of as long as they have each other.

She doesn't smile back though. She instead looks back to the cold world passing her by, looking to lose herself alone inside her head once again.

It makes Adora's heart sink. Things are already worst case scenario. The thought that maybe she'll lose Glimmer's trust again becomes far too daunting. Enough that she doesn't take time to think it over. She just decides to speak. "Glimmer?" she begins, and the Queen looks back to her, the same level of despondence clear in her eyes. Normally the sparkle in them is something worth cherishing. But now, it's almost like the iridescence of a rainbow in a storm. Beauty from ashes.

Things are already worst case scenario. So what's she got to lose? They have a little time left before their arrival to the Forbidden Forest.

She won't lose her again.

"Something you said back there has been bothering me," she timidly tells her, being sure to look to her eyes, hoping she'll see the compassion she feels inside of them. Maybe she's not so unlucky after all, because Glimmer is sure to give her the attention she gave the sky.

"What?" she quietly asks, almost like she's afraid of what Adora has to say. What has she done now?

Before she can let her really get that impression, Adora is sure to make her thoughts clear. Maybe she can't be tactful, but she'll try to be truthful and hope her care is trusted, at the very least. "You said it was your fault people are always getting hurt. I want to tell you right now that that isn't true. I hope you know it's not," she begins, gradually gaining more confidence in the things she has to say. "We've all made mistakes. And we've all paid the prices for them. But you don't deserve to keep feeling the weight of them. You've done more than enough to try and make things right."

She feels her heart beating faster as she gives Glimmer time to digest everything she's said. There's a small, niggling fear of the dark creeping on the back of her neck, one that tells her she just made a mistake saying all of these things. At the same time, she's hopeful that she did the right thing. That Glimmer will see and feel the care she takes in crafting her words. Maybe she does. Her eyes seem to say so at least as she stares back to Adora for a few slow burning seconds, that same glistening in them welling more.

She doesn't let her see tears though. Instead, she turns to the sky once again, taking solace in the evening as she considers what to say back, if anything at all. It takes her time, like many things she's tried to get just right, but she doesn't become too anxious this time. In fact, she offers a little smile with the thought she has. It isn't enough to look back to Adora, not yet at least, but she wears it well for a moment longer.

"I've been thinking a lot about my mom and dad lately. Especially my mom," she reveals. It isn't at all what Adora expected to hear, even without any real expectations. Even so, she does her best to focus on what her friend has to say, giving her undivided attention. "She was really straight laced. I gave her more flak for it than anyone else. You of all people know that," she says somewhat jokingly before letting the smile fade from her face. "But she was right about a lot of things. And she tried her best to do everything she felt was good for Bright Moon."

She takes pause, clearing her mind, composing the right things to say.

"I remember when her and dad were both around. How happy we all were together," she trails off, softly smiling again as those pleasant memories come to her. Again it leaves her though as she finally looks to Adora again, doing her best to keep a straight face and keep the cracks from showing as she does. "The reason I bring it up is because I've been thinking about this lately, and maybe everyone's right. Maybe I can't do this all on my own."

An interesting point she makes, but even so, Adora has one area of disagreement. "No one is saying that, for the record."

"They're thinking it. They have to be. I am, anyway," Glimmer refutes.

As much as Adora likes to think that she knows her friend well, this information perplexes her. She knows that there's doubts in her mind, just like there are for everyone else. And she knows she has good reasons to feel this way. What she doesn't understand is what her parents have to do with it, or why she's bringing this up now. "So, what are you saying?" she asks, hoping not to sound patronizing.

Glimmer hangs her head. "Maybe the reason they did so well together is because they had each other. Maybe I need that. Maybe I need… you know, someone by my side."

Gears start turning in Adora's head, drawing conclusions. Maybe there's something to them, and maybe not. But there's only one way to be sure. "Like… a king?" she guesses.

"Yeah. Like a king," Glimmer answers, still hanging her head.

For Adora, there's a constant struggle of feeling like she has answers, only for questions to be changed. Now that ideology of her comes crashing like a wrecking ball, leaving her almost dizzy with how sudden her thoughts have to change. Since when does Glimmer consider courtship? Is it something she thinks about a lot? For how long? "You're thinking about getting married?" she asks, almost rhetorically. She still isn't quite sure what to make of this, and she doesn't want to jump the gun too much… like she's been guilty of before.

Glimmer's tone changes to something more uncertain as she elaborates. "I don't know. Maybe not. Maybe I don't need to to have someone else help me out with things," she says, but Adora knows her well enough that there's much more to dissect. And while she doesn't want to be pushy, Glimmer did bring this up for a reason. And more selfishly, her curiosity has been piqued.

"But?"

Glimmer takes a deep breath before saying what she wants to say, considering if it's going to just make things worse. But, even after everything, she wants to be able to share this with Adora. And now she feels like she needs to. So she lets that deep breath grant her a momentary lapse of fear, choosing instead to let her heart speak for her mind. "But if I did… I don't know. I think maybe I'd ask Bow."

She'd ask Bow. For whatever reason, hearing that robs Adora of the air in her chest. It isn't a bad thing, it certainly isn't. It's not even shocking, all things considered. But even with that, with everything… it doesn't sit well with her. She doesn't let that corrupt her though. No, it's time for her to be a listener, for both their sakes. So she decides to keep listening, hoping to use the time to further develop these newfound feelings with more information. Maybe Glimmer will offer some relief with the other things she's sure to explain.

"He's been with the Rebellion just as long as I have, and he's a great leader. He's smart, he cares about all of us… he doesn't have my temper," she says with a weak laugh. "Maybe he'd make a good king?"

She had hoped that she'd feel less uneasy, but in her heart, she doesn't. Still, she decides not to let it show. She promised herself after everything with the Heart of Etheria and Horde Prime that she'd try to be more supportive of her friends, even with her doubts. This holds especially true for Glimmer. So she takes what she's registered in her mind, looking for ways to accentuate the positives and push back the disagreements.

"Well… You're right about all of those things. Bow would make a great king. Or, you know, maybe some kind of general. You don't have to get married to have him by your side," she offers, not sure what kind of message she's trying to get across with it. She gets a better idea of what she might be feeling though with the next question that comes to mind. "Unless… You want to marry him?"

The seconds in between her question and Glimmer's response feel more like minutes. She has a lot to consider with the short amount of time, like why she could even feel any resentment about the idea of her two best friends being something more. But it's not enough time of silence to get anywhere valid, not when Glimmer is able to decide where she wants to take this conversation.

"That's the thing. I uh, I actually talked to Aunt Casta about this the other day. And of course she was super dramatic about it," she says, earning a playful little scoff from Adora.

"I can only imagine." Something about the way she said it makes her feel like this is okay. This isn't a bad talk, it's a good one. Like the ones they used to have early in the war, before any portals or coronations. It draws her like a tractor beam to get closer to Glimmer, and while there's still some of that creeping nervousness about where they actually stand, she decides to chance making the steps. And thankfully, Glimmer doesn't stand off as those steps take her to the other girl's side. She sits down beside her, keeping but a comfortable distance between them to really level with her. "What did she say about it?" she asks.

Feeling the same science of understanding between them, Glimmer gets comfortable sharing more. "She said that I shouldn't get married unless I'm in love, and it needs to be real and magical. Blah, blah, blah. Typical Aunt Casta stuff. But, the more I thought about it, maybe she's right? Maybe it is stupid to marry someone just so I have a king."

Some of the anxiety that was swelling inside of her slowly subsides for Adora upon hearing those words, but not all of it. She still isn't sure how to feel, or whether any of it is justified. But again, she wants Glimmer's feelings to come first. And she wants her to see that more than anything. "I wouldn't say it's stupid. I get why you've been thinking about this. You just want to make sure the kingdom is in safe hands just in case, well…"

Luckily, Glimmer doesn't take the morbid conclusion the wrong way. "Yeah. Exactly!" she agrees. She can't carry as much enthusiasm about her other thoughts though. "But I don't know…"

There are a lot of different strands to pick and choose from. All of them have their benefits and drawbacks, and the past makes it even harder to decide what she wants to say. But Adora decides that one thought above the rest bears the most importance. It ties everything together, it offers the most results. For her, for Glimmer… for both of them.

It doesn't make her any less nervous to actually voice the question though. "How- How do you feel about Bow?"

Glimmer shows just how anxious she is as well with the way she takes another deep breath, looking forward instead of to Adora as she considers what to say back. But this is going well, she reminds herself. And that gives her the strength to keep meeting Adora's kind words of encouragement with some honesty. "I love him. A lot. But not like my mom loved my dad. He's my best friend. I don't see him that way. Does that make sense?"

Hearing 'I love him,' wasn't an easy experience for Adora, but as quickly as her heart began to sank, it picks up pace again with this clarification. Then it sinks a little more as guilt sets in for feeling jealousy or whatever it is she was feeling towards Bow, her other best friend, the one who's always been there for her, the one who's slowly dying in a bed. The one whose life depends on these two.

Even then, it's all so soon and sudden, she has a hard time feeling any one emotion with a full grip. She finds it easier and more reasonable to focus on the good, for everyone's sake. So she breaks it back down in her mind to bullet points, something she's sort of always conditioned herself to practice. Bow needs saving, Glimmer is here to help her find the way to do it, and… she apparently thinks about marriage. Despite not having romantic feelings for Bow.

Even with all these thoughts, all she says to her is, "Yeah. I think so."

For a few slow draining seconds, nothing more is said on the matter. It gives them the time they need to think things through, to really get where they want to be. At least in their minds, anyway. For Adora, that means continuing to straighten and narrow those bullet points in her mind. These things are all important that Glimmer tells her now, but she can't really tackle them and the way they're making her feel until other more timely matters are taken care of. Which, in a weird sort of way, makes her feel a little relief.

For Glimmer, it isn't so easy to let her thoughts return to the mission. "I'm scared. About everything," she begins. The more she sees Bow in her mind, the more her heart fights to beat. These mental images of his smiles could be the last ones she gets to see from him. "Why did it have to be him?" she asks, folding her arms over her knees to cradle her head.

There it is: the reminder Adora needs. Whatever conflicted feelings she has she can deal with, because she knows her friends make it all worth it. Not just Bow, but Glimmer too. So she scoots over closer to her, braving herself to actually put an arm around her in an attempt to comfort her. She's nervous that her gesture might not be appreciated, but she's willing to take the risk. The potential reward makes it worth it, just like everything they've struggled with to make their friendship last. "I'm scared too. But we have to be brave now. For Bow," she says, welcoming a reassuring little smile to her face.

Feeling her arm embrace her, seeing those blue eyes gazing back to her with such strength and warmth in them… it makes a single tear fall from Glimmer's welling eyes. Despite everything wrong, at least this things can be right between them. And she wants to let Adora see that she cherishes it. So she rests her own hand over Adora's, smiling back to her with the same energy she projects. They stay like this for a while longer, feeding off one another's compassion, using it to strengthen the resolve they have and will need to make everything whole again. For Bow, for each other.

"Thanks for being here for me. I know I wasn't a very good friend to you when you needed me to be," Glimmer tries to apologize, but Adora won't let the good feelings being muddled by anything less.

"I can't take anymore self-pity. It's gonna make me Skiff-sick," she jokes before getting serious again. "I love you Glimmer. You're everything to me."

Love. Hearing that word almost makes Glimmer cry again. For so long, she wondered if Adora hated her. To hear that they can still be this close, even now in times of crisis, it brings her the warmest feeling she's felt in a very long time.

And Adora feels pretty great saying it. She feels even better when she hears what Glimmer has to say back.

"I love you too."

Her heart almost skips a beat, but thankfully it keeps beating on. Hearing Glimmer say it back gives her all the strength and confidence she needs. She was right, together, they have nothing to be afraid of. They'll make things right again by finding the Sinzu root and getting it back to Bow, and once he's better, they'll finally have peace. No more war, no more pain, just time to heal and rediscover their friendship.

And… whatever it is that made her so scared to hear talk of marriage.

But these things aren't certain yet. There's still much to do, and it becomes impossible to ignore as the Skiff slowly begins slowing down, the autopilot bringing them to the destination Entrapta gave them the coordinates for. They stand up to face the new world ahead of them, looking out to watch as a fortress of dark trees comes closer and closer, almost like a gate. Adora can feel Glimmer's grip tightening around her arm, and she looks to her to see the lingering fears in her eyes. She wishes she couldn't feel the same fears, but she does. She can't help it. They don't know what kind of threat awaits them, what it is that keeps anyone from returning from such a forsaken place.

But they can't stop and turn around. It's not an option. So Adora just places her hand over Glimmer's, firmly breathing in a deep breath to bury those fears under the strength they'll need. She looks to her to make sure she can see this, to try and tell her that she'll need to do the same. And she does. She wears it with a deep breath of her own, one that lets Adora know they can be on the same page.

Finally, the Skiff makes its stop. The Princesses take a short moment to study the wall of trees a little longer, but nothing changes the fact that they have to cross them. With that in mind, Glimmer takes the first step she knows to take in starting their mission.

"Is this... the Forest?" she asks, meeting Adora with those glistening eyes of hers once again. In them, there's still fear, but there's the power of a noble warrior, a strong queen, and a good friend to color the grey. And that's all Adora needs to take the step she knows to take.

"If it is, we don't have time to waste. Are you ready?"

She only needs a few more seconds of mentally preparing herself for whatever lies beyond the trees, no matter how treacherous, to decide that she is.

"For Bow."

No more words are needed. So with that, they make their descent from the Skiff, Adora offering her hand to help the shorter girl off the vessel. Weeks, even days ago, she would have dreaded the thought. Things were so broken between them. But now? Her hand brings her warmth and comfort. She knows that she has her friend to rely on. And the best part is the faith she has that Glimmer feels the same way.

She'd like to be able to smile at Adora's generous act, but she can't. Not with the weight of the circumstances pressing down on her. So she just looks into her eyes for as long as she can, hoping to show everything she feels, the good and the bad, before facing the unknown again. The steps towards the forest aren't quick or hearty, they're nimble and weak. But the only thing standing in the way of her and the root that could save Bow's life are these trees.

And with Adora by her side to remind her of what she has to lose, what she has to gain… she decides that trees really aren't so scary. So the next steps she takes are faster, more confident. They're the steps that will lead her past these trees and into the unknown, into the Forbidden Forest.


	3. Chapter 3

Daylight didn't happen in the Fright Zone. The only experiences Adora had with daylight for the first seventeen years of her life were from simulations of battling Princesses and the fateful day that she saved Thaymor from the Horde. The day that Glimmer and Bow came into her life.

Just as the dawn couldn't be seen in the Fright Zone skies, the Forbidden Forest offers no concept of time. Everything is dark and shadowed by dying wood. Her eyes adjust enough to help her see, but even then, she finds it hard to really catch everything with her eye. And normally there wouldn't be a thing she could do about it. But thankfully, Glimmer is able to put her powers to use even without bad guys to fight. She conjures up a small orb of energy, just enough to serve as a flashlight of sorts as they traverse the unknown. Adora says nothing regarding her resourcefulness, but offers a little smile to show her respect.

With the light Glimmer shines, they're able to see a little more of what this place has to offer, which isn't too remarkable upon the endless sea of dying trees. It's a good thing they have a tracker pad to help them find their way back to the Skiff, otherwise they might have gotten lost by now. In fact, the scenery becomes almost too familiar that Adora finds herself less than ready for the first deviation from the view.

Her foot steps over a seemingly normal patch of land, but the moment it does, the ground gives way, crumbling into dust at her foot and sending her tripping and falling through. She can't help but let out a cry of panic, "Woah!" but before she can feel the impact of her face careening into dirt, she finds herself quickly being whisked back to the safety of the land above by Glimmer.

Every time Adora is teleported by the Queen it's as if she's blinked and missed something. This time proves to be especially true as Glimmer just stands there with her in her arms, garnering some slight amusement at the fretful look on her face over almost slipping up. Literally. Eventually she sets Adora back down on her feet, meeting her with a little smirk as she does. She wears a dumbfounded expression a moment longer, but shapes herself back up as it fully registers that she was saved by the other girl. "Thanks," she simply says, a little embarrassed.

"No problem. Just try to be more careful," Glimmer teases, almost like everything is normal and okay. It makes them both feel good to have the momentary lapse of regrets, but unfortunately, it can't last forever. Not in this place. Not with Bow to worry about. So they have to keep moving on, pressing further into the cold, unforgiving Forbidden Forest.

"Did Entrapta give you the location of the actual root?" Glimmer asks Adora now as they continue along, being mindful of any certain potholes. Fortunately, things seem rather safe for now as they do. Enough to almost concern them.

"No. She only gave me the coordinates for the actual Forest. The rest is up to us," Adora answers. She stops to take a second to look all around, but again, there's not much to comment on besides the chilly air and the forestry. Glimmer stops too to see if she can guess what the matter is, but with so little to report, she isn't sure what makes Adora stop.

"What are you doing?" she timidly asks.

Adora doesn't look to her just yet. She keeps scanning the area, wondering just what it is that makes this place so dangerous. Or why it hasn't become evident yet. "Things are too quiet. I don't like it," she starts before picking up the pace again. "That doctor made it out to be like this was some sort of death zone. Why haven't we seen anything yet?"

Glimmer follows along, racking her brain in hopes of coming to a satisfactory conclusion. "Well, hopefully they were wrong about this place. Maybe it's not so dangerous after all. Or maybe he just he was wrong about where Entrapta sent us. Maybe this is just, you know, a regular creepy forest."

"Still, we shouldn't let our guard down," Adora sternly responds.

Which offends Glimmer a little bit. "Obviously," she huffs.

The small exchange is enough to make them both feel equally guilty, and they stop again to face one another with the same pitiful expressions. The last thing they want is to fall back into arguing all the time.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that," Adora is first to say.

And Glimmer meets her level of remorse with even more. "No, I'm sorry. I need to stop being so defensive."

They realize that they're going to be okay with they way these words come out, with the way they're able to face one another with these looks in their eyes. Even with the all the darkness of the world surrounding them right now, this rekindling bond between them is somehow shining. Even after all the arguing and fighting, all the war and sacrifice. It makes it okay to smile right now, if only for a few seconds to remind each other that their love is real.

But even with this light to shine between them, there's still a very real dilemma to attend to. So as much as they'd like to keep experimenting with the feelings they discover while looking into one another's eyes, they don't have that luxury right now. They have to keep going until they find the Sinzu root, or the worst case scenario will become true. And while the path they follow continues its trend of being rather uneventful for a few minutes longer, they begin to notice a decrease in the abundance of trees soon enough. More ground occupies the land, there's more space to get a look around.

And with the space becomes the first real sign of danger in this place. And when they notice it, they both have to stop dead in their tracks. Glimmer has to gasp, even. "Huah!" She can't believe her eyes, but it would seem to be true with Adora's confirmation. "Is that-?"

"Blood."

She carefully treads closer to kneel down and get a look, and yes. It's blood that's stained the ground below. A significantly large trail of it creates a small path, one that Adora decides to follow as she stands back up. "Come on," she instructs Glimmer.

The Queen almost wants to argue against following the ominous trail, but she knows she can't. It might be dangerous, but they just have to face the dangers if it means they can find a way to save Bow's life. So she dutifully abides her order, following close behind while shining her orb of light to make the path clear for them.

The trail of blood lasts several yards, but eventually stops at an even more ominous sight. One that makes them both very unnerved upon seeing. It's a group of corpses huddled close to one another, all with uniforms bearing the Horde insignia. Glimmer covers her mouth to keep another gasp from escaping, doing her best to steady feelings of disbelief and even nausea as she places her other hand around Adora's arm for comfort. The sight troubles Adora enough to force herself into looking away, gritting her teeth and hissing in an attempt to ignore the sight.

Unfortunately though, she knows she'll have to get closer. She has to do her best to see what led them to this fate. So she reluctantly opens her eyes again, gulping down the lump that forms in her throat as she carefully steps her way over to the bodies. "Adora," Glimmer instinctively calls to her in a whisper, but she says nothing in response. And Glimmer says nothing more as she stands watch, shining her light to give Adora the visibility she needs to observe the carcasses.

She looks closely at one of the bodies, trying her best to focus only on finding signs of violence. But her mind is a more terrible master than it is a dutiful servant as it wanders to darker places. This was a Horde soldier. Someone who had to live the same life of isolation and lies that she did once upon a time. A life that could hardly be considered a worthwhile one when compared to the life she lives now. It wasn't their fault, they didn't know. But the thought breaks her heart. They probably had friends, like Kyle, Lonnie…

Then she sees it. She sees the gashes, the ones that look like something ripped right into their torso. It makes her jump back and shiver.

"Adora," Glimmer calls a second time, this time coming down beside her and offering a hand to her shoulder to remind her that she's here for her. It's enough to bring the Horde defect back to her senses, meeting her friend with a shocked look in her eyes that sinks her heart.

"They were- something attacked them," she tells Glimmer, staying on her rear for a few seconds longer, the possibilities swarming like wasps in her head. What kind of attacker could have caused this? And why? Was it even something capable of feeling remorse? She doesn't want to think about it, but she has to. She just has to. Just like she has to force herself to get back to her feet, quickly standing herself up and shaking off the shock to try and maintain the same composure she had coming into the forest.

Realizing that she needs a moment to herself, Glimmer decides to shine her light back on the bodies on the ground. Despite everything the war has traumatized her with, death isn't something she's seen so intimately very often. And this is the first time in a long time. It makes her heart still and her stomach queasy, but at the same time, she's fascinated with the lifelessness before her. It's awful, depressing… but unlike the other tragedies she's dealt with in the past, this one is out of her hands. Their fates were sealed long before she ever had a chance to try and help them.

Finally, she decides a thought is worth sharing, one that might even help Adora process this too. "What do you think happened to them?"

The words register almost instantly in Adora's mind, but it takes her a second to really come back to. When she does though, she's sure to look Glimmer in the eyes, desperate that she'll see just how seriously she takes this forest now. "I don't know. But we need to find that root before the same thing can happen to us."

It isn't often Glimmer sees such graveness from the woman who bears the title of She-Ra. Because of that, she knows to put aside any feelings of feeling overlooked to the side. Ranks and titles don't matter when life and death are of the essence. So she says nothing more on the subject. She just follows Adora as she walks away from the death stranding, never looking back. Glimmer has to take one last look though, the image permeating itself in her mind. If anything, all she hopes is that whatever happened to these soldiers, hopefully they're at peace now.

* * *

They aren't safe here. They know that now as they continue forward. The silence was maddening at first, but they soon come to respect it after hearing the first strange sound from something, or someone else, in the trees.

"What was that?" Glimmer blurts out, doing her best to whisper. Adora is quick to pull her to the side, sternly shushing her with her finger before looking out to the distance herself. Nothing. Not a single sign of anyone else is visible. But she doesn't care. She knows strange noises happen all the time in the Whispering Woods, but this isn't just the ordinary walking grounds of Madame Razz or even Bow's fathers. No, this is an awful, wretched place. One that can't be trusted or underestimated. Those poor fallen soldiers remind her of that as they keep niggling their way into the back of her mind.

"Keep quiet. And don't let your guard down," Adora orders Glimmer, that same graveness in her tone as before. Glimmer takes it just as seriously now as she did then, choosing to say nothing else as she focuses on her beam of light, shining it in all directions as they press onward in the heart of the cold. As chilly as it is though, she actually sweats, feeling herself stay warm and nervous with every step they take. And while Adora wears a mask of armor, she knows her well enough to know she's afraid too. She's only human, even with her sword.

The strange noise is followed by more, some scattered inconsistently from one another, others too close for comfort. It could be the wind, there is a little bit of a breeze the farther along they get. But Adora lets cynicism be her ally this once. It probably isn't the wind, and whatever it is that knows they're here, it's biding its time. Waiting for the right moment to catch them in their vulnerability.

She refuses to let that happen though. Not only for herself, but everyone who depends on her. And for Glimmer… she may not depend on her the way she used to, but they're so close. She keeps that in her heart now with the knowledge that it's them against the world right now, almost literally side to side and back to back as she keeps shining her light even with the fear of the dark.

Fear that's completely warranted. Especially when the noises come from a swift movement in the trees, one they just barely see from the corners of their eyes. But they do see it, and they hurriedly turn their heads as fast as they can to try and catch what it is.

No such luck. But they both saw it. They know they did as they look to one another for confirmation that they aren't just going crazy here.

Since coming to this place, Glimmer hasn't had much to say. It's all been a matter of taking in what this new world has to offer, staying careful as she learns to adapt to its rules. But after this, she realizes they might not be as prepared as they should be. "Adora, maybe you should transform into She-Ra?" she suggests, not sounding very patient for an argument as to why she can't.

It's a tone Adora's heard before, and it's one that she's argued with one too many times. Sometimes for very good reason, other times… just to argue. This time though, she tries to keep in mind a promise she made to herself to try and listen to others more. To give them more benefit of the doubt. And while dire straits are the current norm, and she'll use her best judgment if it means not getting hurt over making Glimmer feel bad; she realizes something. This time, Glimmer is probably right.

She looks to her sword. Nothing makes her feel more satisfaction than being able to be a hero without it. And sometimes, small, nimble Adora is better for problem solving than brutish, warrior Princess She-Ra. But there's no use in trying to hide anymore. Whatever threat wanders the Forbidden Forest, it knows they're here. It's lurking in the shadows.

Then she looks to Glimmer. She can see that familiar look in her eyes, the one that's hoping and praying someone will listen to her. And while there's a part of her that dreads seeing that in her eyes, there's a part of her that sees something new in them. Something sympathetic that directly opposes that look of desperation. It's a look of beseeching forgiveness, one that just doesn't want to feel hurt by hurting others anymore.

It's a feeling Adora knows all too well. And it's all she needs to see to realize that right now, maybe more than ever… they need She-Ra.

So she looks back to her Sword of Protection, gripping its handle tightly and taking a deep breath as if to become one with it. Then she swings it in her the air, chanting her signature battle cry to initiate her transformation.

"FOR THE HONOR… OF GRAYSKULL!"

And with those words, her Princess magic transforms her into Etheria's greatest hero: She-Ra. Her hair grows golden locks, she becomes two feet taller, and her muscles three times as strong. It never ceases to amaze others how incredible it is, even Glimmer. No matter how many times she's seen her transform, it still humbles her a little bit every time. And this time, knowing how necessary it is to have She-Ra on the frontlines, it makes her truly feel as if things are about to change for them.

She looks all around, seeing the way the shadows in the dark move faster, the sounds of crunching leaves and snapping twigs symphonizing with more commotion. The hair on the back of her neck stands up, and she knows they're in for a fight soon.

Adora feels it too. As she watches Glimmer draw her magic battle staff, she does the same with her Sword of Protection. Whatever is waiting for them, they'll bring the fight. They won't back down.

But nothing comes.

The sounds of snapping twigs and crunching leaves slowly stop. The feeling that something is moving, watching, hovering around them escapes them. The hairs on the backs of their necks ebb back down.

Adora looks to Glimmer, more confused than anything. She won't let her guard down, neither of them will. Something is definitely wrong here.

"Do you think maybe you scared them off?" Glimmer speculates, deciding to go ahead and put her battle staff away.

It takes Adora a moment longer to feel secure enough in sheathing her own weapon, but she does soon enough. "I don't know. But just to be safe, I think I'll keep She-Ra around a little while longer."

They take a few more seconds to be sure it's safe to continue through the darkness, Glimmer shining her light in all directions to be certain nothing is lurking nearby. Nothing though. Nothing to see, nothing to hear, nothing to feel. It annoys them just as much as it relieves them, but regardless, time is still against them. They keep that in mind as Adora makes the next steps forward. "Come on, we're losing time."

As they walk, she checks their tracker pad. They've gotten a pretty decent distance from the Skiff, enough to make her start worrying. But she keeps it to herself. Panic is the enemy, and she doesn't want to alarm Glimmer. Even so, the other girl begins forming her own doubts. "Where is it? Where do we find this root Entrapta was talking about?" she thinks aloud.

It saddens Adora that she can't come up with a better answer than the one she has, but it's all she's got. Even with years of Horde training, she can't find any indication that their coveted root is anywhere nearby. "I- I don't know. I can't see anything. No plants. No moss. Nothing," she dejectedly goes on before checking her tracker pad once again, hoping that maybe she overlooked something from Entrapta's coordinates. Unfortunately this isn't the case though. There's nothing to help her.

She's had trouble accepting these kinds of defeats in the past, but this one would truly devastate her. Even if there's no one left to turn to, she's supposed to be able to figure things out. She's supposed to be a hero…

But now, even with her sword, even with her long golden blonde hair and her stupid cape… she's nothing. Just a girl lost in the woods.

Glimmer notices the way her steps slow down, the way she loses the tunnel vision that guided her forward. Now she just seems uncertain of where she is or what she's supposed to do. She knows because… well, she's been there herself so many times before. It's an awful feeling to realize there's no control of things, especially when everything is so bleak. But she doesn't stop shining her light. She keeps it shimmering as she makes her way to catch up with Adora, resting a comforting hand on her back. It's so different placing a hand on She-Ra than it is just regular Adora. She's so much taller, so much more imposing. At the same time, one thing doesn't change. When they make contact like this, it gives her a feeling of warmth, invincibility almost. Like nothing can really hurt her. She doesn't know that Adora can be made to feel the same way by someone like her, but that doesn't bother her right now. Right now, all she wants is to show her friend that she believes in her.

"We'll find it. I know we will," she assures her, and to an extent, herself. "We have to…"

Adora turns to see her eyes once again. There's still so much pain and fear, but it dulls in comparison to the compassion she feels resonating in this gaze. Even if she shouldn't, even if hopes seems to be drifting away, she can't help but keep staring into those eyes. They give her strength, the give her confidence… they give her love.

They compel her to raise her hand and place it on her cheek. As Adora, she isn't so small or fragile. But as She-Ra, she feels an urgency to let her know that she's always here to protect her. To be here for her if she needs her. Whether it's flailing her sword at the bad guys, or even just offering a hand like this one.

For a moment, it's like they aren't in the forest. Their location, the time of day, those don't matter. What matters is this powerful exchange they feel while gazing into one another's eyes, into one another's souls. As Princesses, they've always shared a bond that only magic can explain. One that connects them on a deeper level than normal people. But this? This is different. It's months of struggles and fighting with everything, everyone, and even each other coming to a head, all for the sake of the understanding they want to share with one another right now.

If it could last forever, they might let it. But it can't. They both know it. And while they might be able to try and capture the feeling again later, they have to put their hearts back into their quest before it's too late.

Unfortunately, they realize it after being disturbed.

The sound of a twig snapping gets to Glimmer. The sound of a leaf crunching gets Adora. Like wolves to the moon, they're quick to stand in attention, quickly drawing their weapons again and taking defensive stances. The same feeling of unwanted company creeps against their goosebumps again, starting like breaths on their necks, sending shivers down every nerve of their bodies.

Swiftly as before, a shape runs by them. They aren't able to see what it is, but the silhouette is definitely real this time. They know that much. Glimmer hurries to shine her light in the direction they think they saw it, but nothing's there. At least… not where she thinks it is.

The next few seconds burn slow, quiet, _uncomfortable. _They know they're being hunted, they know they have to fight it sooner or later. But not knowing what or who, or where it is is infuriating.

Their questions are answered soon enough.

It's Glimmer to see it first as it makes its way out of the woods. She can't capture a clear image of it with how quickly it makes its way out to them, but its beady, bright yellow eyes are unmistakable. They're the giveaway she needs to be sure they're a threat. "Adora, look out!" she hollers. And just as the warrior princess is able to turn and have a brief look at her attacker, she bears witness to the beam of magical energy that Glimmer fires from the palm of her hand, connecting with the strange being's chest and felling it to the ground below.

It could have easily gotten to Adora with its speed and frother, but luck was on her side, just as Glimmer was. She finds herself frozen for a moment longer as she tries to take it all in; Glimmer preparing for battle after firing away at this strange interloper, the interloper in question. Her eyes fix themselves on it, getting as clear as look as they can at the shape that was but a silhouette a few minutes ago. Then, it was practically a nightmare. Something to run away from and always forget. But now, with the moonlight giving her the view she needs of it, she can really study every inch of its grotesque figure. Its skin is almost charred with how sickly and rotted its become. It looks almost human, but there's the hands. Its fingers are like long blades of claws as opposed to actual fingers. And its face… its face is hardly a face at all. There's no nose, no mouth even. Just bright, lifeless yellow eyes. Like spotlights or stars.

Luck was on her side, she realizes that fully as she looks back to Glimmer, her heart beginning to pound in her chest with the next realization she has. The same one she knows Glimmer feels with the fretful expression burdening her face.

Luck runs out.

The creature was not alone. In the seconds to pass, almost too quickly for their liking, more of the monsters manifest from the trees of the woods. They steadily pace one by one, almost aimlessly wandering to circle around their prey. More bright yellow lights draw nearer, making it known that the creatures come in numbers.

Almost instinctively, Glimmer reaches her hand to grab Adora's. She wants to be safe and secure, and all she knows to do is remind herself that she isn't alone, that her best friend, the mighty warrior She-Ra is by her side. There's no running away from this, she knows that as she watches more of them surround the two. Adora knows this too, she chooses to accept it as she tightens one grip on Glimmer's hand, and the other on her sword.

"We can't run," she says, the gravity of the situation reflecting her tone.

Glimmer feels scared. They both do. But like Adora, she chooses to face this new challenge head on, knowing it's the only chance they have to make it out alive. So she takes a deep breath, and without a word to reply, she summons her magical battle staff, the very same one her father King Micah used to battle his enemies. It's served her well, never letting her down before. Tonight, she plans to keep it that way.

Without any other choice in the matter, they raise their arms, finally releasing their grasps of each other's hands to firmly grip their weapons. Then… they're attacked.

They both let out battle cries as they resist the ambush, both swinging their weapons against the oncoming forces. What has to be minutes feels more like seconds as they fight for their lives, bashing the faces and bodies of these awful creatures. First one at a time, then more. Adora can feel those menacing hands trying to grab her, those horrible claws. Some even manage dig in, scratching, even slitting her skin. Blood is drawn.

But not only hers. Not only Glimmer's. The monsters as well. Glimmer's staff is a capable weapon in breaking bones, crushing them and bringing the creatures to the ground in crippled heaps. And that's just when she hits arms, legs, or ribs. When she aims for the head, those beady, yellow eyes pop out of their heads like buttons.

Adora's sword proves to be just as effective a weapon, if not more. Normally the sword knows not to actually cut through flesh. It knows that her human enemies are not truly evil. But these are not human entities. Whatever they are, they're soulless, only concerned with trying to subdue the Princesses. For what purpose, neither are sure. But one thing she can be certain of is that her sword easily slices through their bodies, cutting off arms, legs, and heads like meat for kabobs. It isn't a pleasant feeling for her to kill them, or to wear their blood like warpaint. She hopes to never have to do anything like this again.

But it's kill or be killed. They forced this decision upon both of them.

Eventually, the enemies slow down. Less are imminent. They even find breathing room to catch their breaths, to look to one another, to see the bloodshed. Neither of them are free from cuts or bruises, and while they don't necessarily know it for themselves, the adrenaline coursing through them, they find time to worry for each other.

"Are you alright?" Glimmer cries.

"Are you hurt?" Adora asks, not even really hearing her question.

Unfortunately, they don't have time to ask more questions. More of the creatures' eyes brighten the woods. the small, beady eyes becoming a little larger as they all come closer. But just as luck runs out, it sometimes creeps back in, presenting windows of opportunity just as these treacherous beings. Glimmer thankfully is able to capitalize on it, a near brilliant idea hatching in her mind. "Adora! Take my hand!" she commands, not even waiting for her to respond before grabbing a hold of her.

"Glimmer? What?" Adora utters, taken by surprise. But the second she sees her Queen conjuring the same purple magic that allows her to shine light and blast the dark, she knows she has a plan to create some distance. So she doesn't argue, she just puts all her trust into her friend, closing her eyes, and waiting for the blip in time, space, and physics to be over.

And it is before she can even dwell on it. In the time it takes to fidget her fingers, Glimmer has teleported the two of them a safe distance away from the group of creatures. Thankfully, they open their eyes to find no yellow lights, to hear no footsteps creeping over leaves or branches. They hurriedly whip their heads to look to one another, to be sure they're okay… and they are.

Aside from being branded by muck and macabre.

"Glimmer, let me get a look at you," Adora tells her, grabbing her by her face to examine her eyes, her lips, then the inches of her body. There's tears in her clothes, gashes in her skin. None that look deep enough to cause permanent damage, but enough to be reasonably concerning.

She won't let anything slow them down though, not with the current dire straits. So she swats Adora's hand, doing her best to show that there's no need to get excited. "I'm fine, I'm fine," she repeats, her breaths coming out as pants as she takes the time to do the same for the other girl. Even in her She-Ra form, Adora is not invincible. Her clothes are tattered too, her face has a large scratch on the cheek. The maroon has stained her uniform, leaving almost more red and brown than white.

But Adora says nothing about it. No complaints of being in pain, no worries that they can't handle the opposition. Instead, like Glimmer, she just looks to her eyes, hoping to be proven that they really are going to be alright. At least for now.

It isn't an easy persuasion, but they realize time is of the essence, and that makes it a little easier to trust that they're only somewhat damaged. Enough to make them break their eyes from one another, to use them in looking all around at their surroundings.

Something is… different.

They don't feel like they're being cornered. They don't feel like something is watching them. Maybe it's because there are less trees where they stand, more moonlight. More… grass…

A single firefly, almost like Glimmer's orb of magic she conjured, shines brightly on the tallest piece of grass. It simply idles there for a few seconds longer, only sticking around long enough to be sure the women see it. Once its sure they do, almost like it knows these things and acts with purpose, it flutters away. And of course, Glimmer and Adora watch it, keeping their eyes glued on the almost magical bug as it flies over to another patch of land, this one offering a different kind of forestry.

On the ground, there's but a single plant growing with a circle of dirt around it. The moonlight shines perfectly down on it with the way the canopying trees encompass it, almost causing it to shine with the light.

It seems almost too good to be true, like there's some divine intervention at play. But they both know once they see it that this is what they've come all this way for.

"The Sinzu Root…" they both quietly utter. Then, they look to each other once again, actually able to smile at this small victory. But it doesn't last nearly as long as Adora would like it to. Soon enough, Glimmer's smile fades, and she turns away to dejectedly look to the grass.

"What's wrong?" she asks her, offering a comforting hand for her shoulder.

She sighs. "It was stupid of me to teleport, I know," she confesses, staring to the grass a moment longer before bringing her piteous eyes back to Adora. "I shouldn't have been so reckless. I could have put us in more harm's way. I didn't even know where I was trying to go."

Adora sees the genuine remorse. But like before on their ride into the Forbidden Forest, she wants to assure her she's in the right. Especially considering they could be in a much worse predicament with a horde of insidious monsters. "No… No, it wasn't. You saved us," she tells her, being sure to keep her hand on her shoulder, gently using her thumb to caress her. All the while, she stares deeply into her eyes. She even smiles again. Despite all the danger, she can't help herself. Not just because they're okay, but because they are together.

Even so, she knows there are more important things to take care of. The creatures can't be too far behind. As important as Glimmer is, and she really lets her importance weigh on her now… there's just not enough time.

So she frees her hand from her shoulder, using her finger to cup her chin for just a second. Enough to show her she really means it when she says she isn't upset with her. Enough to maybe make her want to smile too. "Come on. Let's get this root and get out of here before more of those… things show up," she says, taking the next right steps to continue their now perilous mission.

Those things. That's really all Glimmer knows to call them either. "What do you think they were, anyway?" she thinks aloud, dutifully following her friend on a path to anywhere but here.

It had occurred to Adora to consider the same question when she saw the first fallen monster, but with all the violence, it easily left her mind. Now with time to focus a little easier, she resumes those thoughts. She quickly ascertains that what they are isn't so important right now compared to finding the Sinzu root, but regardless, she offers Glimmer something in response. "I don't know. But my sword has never cut through anything alive before. Whatever those things are… they're evil."

She can't be sure about the monsters, but she can almost be sure about the almost magical plant that grows on the land before her. This is a cold, dark place. And aside from more dying trees than she's ever seen in her life, there's no other vegetation to be found. But to be absolutely positive that this is their coveted root, Adora relies on her tracker pad, using it to scan the plant with a green sensor Entrapta built in. Glimmer just watches her do so, and soon, the device offers am ping of confirmation.

She has to gasp, and now she manages to smile. There's hope after all! "The Sinzu root!"

Adora just weakly smiles back to her, then puts her tablet away to collect the root. Even without her She-Ra strength, she could easily yank this thing out of the ground, but she's sure to keep delicate as she only uses her thumb and index finger to pinch the very bottom of the stem, squeezing to prick it out. The two girls just stare at the plant for a few seconds, thinking of where they go from here. All it takes to save their friend's life is this little root, this small, fragile thing so delicate to the touch.

"So that's it, huh? The Sinzu root Entrapta talked about?" Glimmer breaks the silence again to ask, her heart still racing from the fight before, now joined by the new endorphins of realizing they've found their only hope.

Adora has to subjugate similar sensations with a single deep breath. "It has to be. Entrapta's tracker pad says so," she offers, her only real certainty coming from that knowledge.

But she feels good about it. She's conditioned herself not to expect success all the time so that disappointments can be easier to handle, but this time, she feels hopeful that this little plant will actually set everything right. Even then though, the mission is only halfway over. They still have to make it back out of the forest with this little root in tact.

Adora considers what to do with it next, and knows in her heart what her best choice is going to be. That's why she gestures the root closer to Glimmer, looking to her eyes beseechingly. "Here. I think you should hang on to this," she tells her.

It definitely takes her off guard. "Me? Why?"

"Because I'm an eight foot tall warrior Princess. And even when I'm not, I can be reckless," Adora explains. "So I think you should keep it safe."

Glimmer takes a moment to contemplate her suggestion, surmising similar worries about herself. "Are you sure about this? I mean, I'm not always careful either, you know?" she reminds her, plenty of examples coming to her mind.

And it's not as if Adora has forgotten them. However, she has chosen to forgive them. To trust in Glimmer the way she always did. And for good reason. She's been far better to her than she has been worse. And she wants her to know that as she takes her hand, slipping the root into her grasp. "All I know is I trust you more than I trust myself. And we can't let anything happen to this thing."

She doesn't move her hand, even after the root's been given. She doesn't break away from their mutual gaze either. She takes solace in the way Glimmer keeps looking back to her with those enchanting violet eyes, the ones that shine even in this darkness. And as Glimmer sees the way Adora's bright blues show something just as shimmering, she realizes what she was trying to tell her back on the Skiff.

"I know we have other things to worry about right now, but when we get back. After we help Bow… you and I need to talk about things," she softly tells her, almost in a whisper.

Even with everything, Adora can't help but smile just a little. "I think so too."

Glimmer takes it a step even further as she breaks her hands away from Adora's to instead cradle them around her, wrapping her into a hug. Adora happily returns the gesture, keeping her arms snug around the smaller girl. She doesn't hold too tightly, just loosely enough that she won't let go. And she keeps her there for as long as she will let her, savoring in her scent, her warmth all the while.

This time, they aren't disturbed by monsters. The only thing that convinces them they need to stop is the creeping reminders in both their minds that what's especially important right now is getting back home to tend to Bow. So they disengage, slowly freeing their touch from one another, keeping their eyes matched just one last slow burning second before turning away, still smiling just a little.

But besides their rekindled connection and the fact that they have the Sinzu root, they know the way back home will be treacherous. There's no way they've seen the last of those monsters. They know it, and while they dread it, they know they'll have to accept it.

But they know they can face it as long as they have each other.


	4. Chapter 4

There's no roaring or growling, just the sounds of crunching leaves and shivering trees. But it's all it takes for the Princesses to quickly fix their stances, keeping back to back as they scan their surroundings. It isn't long before they see more of those ominous yellow lights in the woods, the eyes of those strange creatures peering at them.

Adora kept her form as She-Ra knowing this would happen, so she draws her blade from her gauntlet to prepare for the next fight. It won't be easy navigating the woods back to the Skiff, but with the time she had to observe her tracker pad combined with her years of training under the Horde, she feels confident about keeping on a proper path.

Glimmer draws her battle staff, keeping her hands lit with orbs of light so they can both see all around. She keeps in mind that the necessary root is kept safe in a small traveling bag she carries with her, one that she takes just a second to be sure is snuggly strapped before shifting her attention back to the pressing matter.

The sounds and lights draw closer. There's no more time to prepare. "Stay with me Glimmer!" Adora calls to the girl behind her, and she offers no words in response. They aren't needed. She'll let her fighting speak for her.

Again, just as before, the creatures huddle around them, swarming them like wasps. And again, Glimmer and Adora use their weapons to combat the threat. There aren't as may enemies as last time, they notice, and they have a little better luck in fending off this wave. They don't even take any damage, it seems.

"Are you alright?" Adora asks Glimmer after decapitating the last foe.

"I'm fine," she simply answers, taking but a second to catch her breath and look around. They can both still hear the sounds of the Forest being perturbed around them, and some faint yellow lights in the distance that could be eyes, or just fireflies. They aren't sure. And they'd rather not find out.

Realizing they have an opportunity to break for it, Adora grabs Glimmer by the hand. "Come on!" she orders, and the other girl doesn't hesitate to follow her. The sounds follow them, but they see nothing but more trees and empty darkness in their line of sight as they run. Glimmer trusts Adora to keep leading the way, and she focuses on using her own eyes to look around and keep watch for monsters.

Unfortunately, she catches sight of one. She sees its eyes swiftly stopping to stare right at her, then watches as they hurry to her vicinity. "Adora!" she calls to her, stopping her to get her attention. She-Ra abides, turning her back to focus on the oncoming threat.

Unfortunately, Glimmer isn't so quick to notice the second creature lurking behind them. She discovers it soon enough, but not so soon to be fully prepared for its attack.

"Glimmer!" Adora cries just before she swings her sword into the skull of the first monster, hoping to free it from its brain quickly enough to offer some assistance to the other fighter. But luck isn't on her side this time, and she's not fast enough.

So Glimmer does her best to try and counter the monster's sudden lunge, using her staff to block it's hands that try to grab her. It's much stronger with the momentum in its favor, but she uses all the strength she can muster to keep pushing back. It's enough to keep it from catching her, but not enough to push it away.

She tries to resist them, but for some reason, those yellow eyes become so tempting. She finds herself giving up to their pull, looking back into them for just a second. In this one second, she isn't sure what she feels. It's as if a numbness comes to her, somehow taking the emotion, the cognizance, the _soul _from her body. In a way, there's relief in the possibility she won't have to worry anymore. She can just let go of the control she has and give it to this entity. At the same time, the part of her that keeps her herself becomes paralyzed with the fear that she won't have any choice but to give in.

Finally, Adora is able to intervene. She flails her sword into the side of the monster, piercing through its rib, ending its life quickly. Unlike the creature before, it's quite easy to pull her blade out, watching as blood spews from its carcass and onto the ground below. It would be impossible to ignore if she wasn't more concerned with Glimmer.

"Glimmer! Glimmer, look at me!" she cries, taking her friend by the cheek to coerce her into meeting her eyes. For a moment, it's as if she doesn't even see back. Like her mind is somewhere completely different. It scares her more than anything ever has to see her this way, but by the grace of a higher power, it's only for a moment. Her eyes regain their luster, her pupils looking back into hers as she comes to.

"Adora," she almost confusedly responds, maybe even on instinct alone. But eventually the laziness leaves her mind, and she feels… normal again. As normal as she can, anyway. "What happened?"

"I don't know. Are you alright? Did that thing hurt you?" Adora frantically questions, that overwhelming panic still plaguing her.

She finds it hard to stay entirely focused. She does her best to think of what was going on before. The mission, why they're here, the root. It slowly comes back to her. "I- I'm fine. I think…"

Hearing those words doesn't help convince Adora that her friend is truly okay. But her worry is only subsided when she finds new cause for concern in the way Glimmer's demeanor quickly changes.

"Huah! The root!" she cries, fretfully searching for the satchel she had strapped to her. She looks around for it, and thankfully before she can become too alarmed, she finds it on the ground a few inches from their feet, seemingly safe. She then lets out a sigh of relief. "Oh man… Thank goodness…"

She doesn't take any time to waste saying anything more. She just makes her way over to the bag, leaving Adora to wonder a short while longer. What if something had happened to Glimmer? The idea of it breaks her heart. She's lost friends before, but only once to the extent of ever really being gone.

Angella told her she would need to take care of everyone. That's what keeps her fighting. For Bow, for Glimmer… for everyone. But those two? They're more than just her friends. They're her _best _friends. Her _family. _And she loves them more than anything.

And as she watches Glimmer walk, she feels the weight of that, truly feels it, perhaps more than ever. "More than anything…"

As much as she keeps telling herself that she has to push these thoughts, these feelings to the side until they finish the mission, it isn't so easy. And for the most part today, it hasn't cost her.

But luck always runs out. And it does again as she hears the woods betraying her. She hurries to turn around, finding not one, but two of the horrible creatures coming in close. They raise their sharp claws, ready to attack. Her instinct, her strength, and her speed are too great for then though. She's quick to use her sword to create a defending attack.

What she fails to do is be able to help Glimmer from her own ambush.

"Ahh!" she squeals as a third attacker looms before her, right as her fingers touch the satchel with the Sinzu root inside. She fights to avoid its eyes, knowing now how dangerous it is to do so, and then lets her adrenaline make the next choice for her. She grabs on to the bag, knowing how vital it is to her best friend, hoping to turn and run or even teleport before this disgusting thing can catch her.

Unfortunately, it proves to be faster. It catches her by her ankle, sending her falling face down to the ground, reeling her helpless for a moment as the wind escapes her.

Adora sees it from the corner of her eye. "Glimmer!" But she's unable to help. The two monsters attacking her are relentless in trying to get their sharp claws into her skin, and she's forced to fight back. If she doesn't, she knows she will die. And she fights as hard as she can with all of her strength to break their clutches, to use her sword to be able to attack and kill them.

But even when she does, there's not enough time. The last monster hovers over Glimmer, raising its claws to prepare for a finishing blow to her head. "NO!"

She has no other choice. If she doesn't fight it, she will die. So she conjures up as much energy as she can in her hand, desperately hoping to strike back at the creature with countering blast.

It works.

She and Adora both watch as the monster's singed face careens into the ground just beside her head, getting way too close for comfort. She yelps with disgust, "Ah!" then shoves it away to get back to her feet.

With the adrenaline still pumping through both their veins, they do their best to keep levelheaded meeting each other in the middle. Glimmer practically stumbles on her way to Adora, but Adora nearly runs over to her. "Are you okay? Glimmer?!"

There's no rest from the storm within. It doesn't matter if she's hurt or not, or even if the monsters are dead. She realizes it as she looks to the satchel in her hand, holding what's left of it's burnt, crispy leather up for Adora to see too.

She too feels her heart sink as Glimmer looks to her with welling, heartbroken eyes. "I burned it."

Thousands of thoughts race through Adora's mind all at once, all equally depressing. But the question that hammers her head the hardest, maybe just because of the way she's been conditioned to be, is _What now? What now? _she keeps asking herself. The Sinzu root has been burnt to ash, completely obliterated. More monsters are sure to come after them. Bow is still sick and now the only chance of him getting any better has been reduced to atoms. All of it wrecks her heart and soul.

But what hurts the most is seeing Glimmer's eyes, watching the color in them turn to grey as she realizes she feels it all too.

She wants to just be able to wrap her back into her arms like they were moments ago, but she can't now. Not with more of the enemy monsters coming for them. She knows they are. She can feel it on the hairs of her neck. There will be time to mourn later, but only if they can escape with their lives.

"Glimmer, Glimmer look at me," she tells her, placing her hands on her shoulders to snap her from her daze. She doesn't look back, she just keeps eyeing the destroyed satchel in her hands, tears falling from her eyes. And Adora wants to cry with her, she really does. But they can't afford the luxury of grief. And if she has to be the one to be stern about it, she will be. "Glimmer!" she shouts now, this time getting through to the other girl with the sharpness of her tone. Her grip on her arms is tighter than she'd realized, but she has to make Glimmer understand. She has to for the sake of their lives. "We have to go. Now."

The fogginess in her head compares to what the creature's yellow eyes made her feel, but she knows this isn't something beyond her understanding. This is cold, this is empty, this is numb. This is her fault… But even so, something deep inside her forces her to listen to Adora's voice, to heed her command and take the heavy footsteps to move along from this hellish place they stand. So she does, the anger and frustration making it easier to keep going, to use her pain as fuel as they run along the path, Adora holding on to her hand and nearly dragging her along. She wishes she could do a better job of showing her how much she appreciates that quality of hers, but that's somewhere she falls short too. Just like everything else she tries to do.

The moments are almost like a blur as they both rush to evade the monsters, crouching, halting, doing their best to stay silent and avoid detection. No yellow lights find them, and the sounds their footsteps cause become less audible with every yard. Eventually, the Princesses discover a large, hollowed tree trunk, one clever enough that they could take shelter in it for just a little while. The monsters are smart, Adora knows that now. But she trusts that they can be quiet and still long enough to hide them out.

"Over here," she quietly orders Glimmer, still taking her by her hand to guide her along. It isn't that she's forgotten the anguish her friend must be facing within herself, but she has to be a voice of reason for her now. And that requires discipline, even ignorance of certain sadness.

She hopes this is the last time she has to be this way.

She leads Glimmer to the dead tree, having her step inside first to get comfortable as she can inside. There's ample enough room for the two of them to sit inside with some distance between them, enough that they could easily run out if they get spotted. And even with her anguish, Glimmer keeps her orb of energy lit, allowing them to see that the hollowed wood is nothing but that. Just dead bark that didn't serve any purpose until this moment.

What feels like several minutes passes by. At first, they hear some of those familiar commotions the strange creatures made. Some near, some far. But with time, they stop all together. The only sounds they hear come from each other's shallow breaths. They don't let their guard down, especially not Adora. But their bodies force them to relax a little. Enough to focus on other worries.

For Glimmer, it's everything. For Adora, it's her. She sees the way she keeps aimlessly wandering her gaze, looking to the blank canvas this tree offers her in hopes to let the images flooding her mind become priority. Images of failures of the past, all of them haunting and crippling her now with the latest and perhaps most devastating blow. It's all her fault. She knows it.

Bow is going to die because she screwed up.

She starts crying. She wishes she could keep Adora from seeing it, but she isn't strong enough. She has to let the tears crash around her, her back sinking down the inner bark as she drops to the ground below. Adora says nothing at first, paralyzed by heartbreak. But eventually she drops down to her level too, scooting in close to her to offer her comforting touch. "Glimmer?"

"I screwed it all up. Just like everything else," she starts, trying to strangle her volume, failing miserably. "I shouldn't have taken the root. I knew you would do a better job of protecting it, but I wanted to try and not mess everything up for once! I was so stupid!"

She buries her face in her hands, weeping into the darkness they offer. It isn't as easy now for Adora to find what she feels to be somewhat decent things to say, but her conscience tells her that trying is the next right thing. So she wracks her brain as hard as she can, her heart trembling with so many emotions, so much empathy and pain. "Glimmer," she softly begins, taking her hand and bringing it to her cheek, trying to get her to look back. She doesn't. She keeps crying and looking to the nothingness, but Adora goes on regardless. "That's not true. This isn't your fault."

"Yes it is!" she barks back. "I could have helped you defend yourself if I wasn't worrying about that stupid plant!" She silences herself for a moment, the frustration frothering inside of her. Adora knows she's going to explode, and with the pain she has to be feeling, she decides it's just best to be quiet and let her. "Why do I always have to be the one to make things worse? Why?! I'm tired of pushing people away. I'm tired of losing friends! And now Bow is going to die, and it's all because of me!"

Again, she buries her face, this time in her forearms. She doesn't want to cry, not here, not now. Not with hostile monsters hunting them. Not with Adora watching. But the pain is too real. And Adora knows that. She isn't so careless that she could neglect to sense it. At the same time, she can't bear to see her so distraught. Her heart swells for her, its only wish to see her friend fine again. So her conscience keeps pushing her to say something, _anything _to help with that. Even just a little.

"Stop it. Listen to me. Everything you've ever done, everything you do, I know you do it because you want what's best for everyone. Do you think the Princesses would have joined the alliance if that wasn't true? Do you think me and Bow would be your friends if you didn't?"

Glimmer is unresponsive. She keeps her head buried in her arms, still doing her best to stifle the sounds of her crying. Even so, Adora doesn't want to give up. Not with so much at stake, and with her feeling so awful about herself.

"Look, I'm sorry. I don't know what else to say about what happened just now," Adora starts again, quiet, hurt. "I could have looked after the root. Maybe it would have made a difference. Maybe it wouldn't have. But that's not our fault, Glimmer. It's really not."

For a few palpable seconds, the only sound within the tree comes from Glimmer's sniffling. Adora doesn't look to her, she just lets her eyes find comfort in the emptiness, just as Glimmer did before. She knows she has blame to accept here, even with what she says to her friend. About the root, about coming here, about never being enough to save the people she loves. Not just as She-Ra, but as Adora too.

But the vindictive voice that tears her down inside her mind is easier to ignore when she sees Glimmer raise her head up from the corner of her eye.

"Now what? We lost the only chance we had to save him."

_Now what? _It's a question that Adora can't even begin to find an answer she could be happy with. The Sinzu root was destroyed, and she isn't even sure that another one exists within the fortification of this miserable place. And if that's the case… then Bow is gone forever.

It's an awful thought. The worst she's ever had. No more slumber parties or misadventures with the young ward. No more having the perfect voice of reason when she and Glimmer get heated, or even when everyone else seems so eager to give up in the hardest times. No more puns, no more battle figures, no more… no more Best Friend Squad…

It would break her. It really would. But it would _destroy _Glimmer. Not only is Bow her very best friend since childhood, but he's the only one she hasn't lost. She's felt the grief of losing both King Micah and Queen Angella. Losing Bow would be losing everything.

That thought burns a new fire inside of her. One that makes her more angry, more spiteful. Damn it all to hell if she'll let such a thing happen. She may have messed things up with Glimmer before, but she won't let anything or anyone do that again. She won't let her friends drift away.

"I don't know. I… I don't know," she begins to finally answer her question. But any trepidation she has is soon replaced by that same fire now burning inside of her. "But I know that I'm not going to stop trying. If we have to kill every last one of those things to find another root, I'll do it. I'll go as far as I need to go to help him. And I would do the same for you. I love you Glimmer. I love you so much."

Glimmer looks to her eyes. There's tears. There's rage. There's heartbreak. She sees all of that, feeling it in her core. What she sees the most of though is something so much more powerful, so much more captivating. It's that same fire burning bright, and whatever it is… she wants to believe in it. She wants to believe that the light can overcome the darkness.

Adora presses her forehead to hers now, those eyes so close, so emotionally charged. "I promise... I will never let anything hurt you ever again."

Belatedly, she tells her so quietly and meekly, "You can't promise me that."

She won't take no for an answer though. She can't afford to.

"I can," she assures her. And for a just a little while longer, she keeps staring into Glimmer's eyes, doing everything she can to convey just how seriously she takes this. She won't go down without a fight, and she knows deep down Glimmer won't either. "Do you trust me?"

It won't be easy. The chances of finding a cure for Bow now are slim to none, and the monsters out there will be ready to continue preying on them. But in Adora's eyes, that fire still burns, and she wants to be able to hold onto it and feel its warmth more than anything in the world right now. So even though it won't be easy, she chooses to keep believing in it, to fight by her side no matter what.

"Okay."

For a such a simple word, Adora feels her heart almost shake hearing it. It's enough to let her know that they can stand together, to go back out there and face the darkness. She isn't sure she can ever repay her trust or her faith, but she wants to try. She feels that same burning desire telling her to act with her heart, to do what feels right. And right now, it's to gently press her lips to her forehead, offering a slow, delicate kiss to let her know how she feels.

Glimmer says nothing with her words, but her eyes just look up to her with the same challenging despondence in them. Even so, there's a shimmer of that same spark Adora's come to love about her, the one that makes her Glimmer. All hope is not lost, at least not yet. Not for Bow, and not for her either.

So she's first to stand up, readying her sword of protection to transform back into a wrist gauntlet. She'll have to transform back into She-Ra sooner than later she knows, and she wants to be ready for when the time comes. Until then, she decides Adora will be better for laying low than an eight foot tall woman with glowing platinum hair. She's as ready as she'll ever be though. There's not much else to do.

That's when she offers her hand to Glimmer, inviting her to take it and let her help her back to her feet. For a few seconds, all the Queen can do is stare at it, still working through such a whirlwind of emotions deep inside telling her to stay down, to quit while she can. But she remembers the fire she saw in those blue eyes of Adora's, the words she told her from her heart, and it's all the incentive she needs to accept her gesture.

She takes her hand, and let's Adora help her up. They only need to look to each other for a moment to know that they're on the same page, that they'll make a final stand.

And they'll do it together.


	5. Chapter 5

They don't have any other choice but to go back out in the open. They rely on stealth and silence for as long as they can, choosing to lay low and avoid confrontation with the strange, alien creatures. They still don't know what they are or why they're hunting them, but they both know that they are truly evil beings. Especially Glimmer. In the few seconds she stared in the yellow eyes of one of her attackers, she felt as if it was trying to steal her very soul. Like harvesting it in the same way that other monsters from horror stories eat flesh and bone.

She refuses to let it happen again. Not only for her own sake, but for Bow and Adora as well.

Cold and dark. Those were the only two descriptions Entrapta gave them for finding the root. She didn't say if there were one or many. She didn't tell them that they were so small and fragile. She only told them that they could be found here in this wretched place, and without a root… this will all be for nothing. It's an awful thought to have, and Glimmer tries her best to escape it. To push it out of her mind. She knows if she doesn't, she'll just slow Adora down.

She has her own doubts just as well. Despite her years of training under the Horde, none of it helps her in finding clues as to where another root might be. The only other signal she's able to think of that Entrapta didn't tell her was how grass grew in a small field around the Sinzu root. And… there's no grass. Not even any sign of it. They keep walking and sneaking, but nothing changes. They see know signs of sanctuary, only small yellow lights specking the woods around them.

Glimmer suddenly stops, forcing herself to strangle a gasp in her throat. Before Adora can turn to even face her and see what's wrong, she feels her hand clutch her chest, forcing her to back against a nearby tree and stay still. She feels her heart racing now with the pressure of Glimmer's hand over her chest. Sweat drips from her brow and she understands just what has the Queen so concerned. Behind this tree, one of the monsters lurks, slowly pacing and scanning the area, looking to expose them. She doesn't know how well they can sense other things. They don't have noses or mouths, but what if they're something beyond this realm of understanding? What if they just somehow magically know where to find and ravage them? It scares her more than any ordinary beast or human that she can recognize. These things have the advantage of mystery on their side.

She doesn't even breathe. Neither of them do as they try as hard as they can to sit perfectly still, not even moving their eyes as they stare into the distance, hoping it's not the last thing they ever see. It might only be a few seconds that elapses, but it feels like forever.

At least until it's over.

Finally, they hear the creature stepping away from the tree, its heavy, stumbling steps trudging the direction opposite of them. They don't let their guard down yet though. They wait until they're absolutely sure that they won't be ambushed by a second or third monster, or that this one isn't just playing possum.

Eventually though, they feel as if they can at least breathe, so they slowly, quietly inhale deep breaths before letting them out. Then their eyes meet, both conveying the same messages of temporary relief. No words are exchanged though. They don't need to be. The situation hasn't changed, they still need to press forward.

But for what? That's a question Adora ponders as they continue through the Forbidden Forest. There's a chance that maybe they'll have some sort of extraordinary fortune and find a second Sinzu root. That would be the best case scenario next to the monsters just suddenly deciding they don't like how cold these woods are and hightailing out of here. She doesn't get her hopes up for either, though.

Which begs another necessary question. If they don't find a root, if they can't find a root… what do they do? Keep wandering these woods aimlessly searching for something that isn't here, risking losing their lives to monsters that they know virtually nothing about? Or do they fall back and strategize. Do they go back to Bright Moon and tell the others what they've learned, hoping Entrapta can tell them something in regards to finding a cure, praying that they'll have enough forces to come back into these woods and siege it in an attempt to get results. She doesn't want to risk any other lives, but then again, Bow is already dying. And they aren't even sure how much time he has left.

He could already be dead for all she knows.

It's all difficult to digest, but she knows in her heart that she needs to. She and Glimmer are in grave, serious danger if she doesn't. She knows none of these options are truly optimal, and that she can't trust in life to grant her nothing but good luck going forward.

It's all for Bow though. And Glimmer. And with these two in mind, remembering why she loves them both so much… she even considers that there's no point in living if they can't save him. Maybe there really wouldn't be. At the very least, she doesn't want to risk the lives of the men and women of Bright Moon's battalions or her other fellow Princesses to go on a goose chase based on only small chances. So sure, it can stick to her and Glimmer. The two of them can walk through this night stumbling blindly, hoping that the light is there for them at the end. Whatever that may be.

If she has it her way, it would be the same moonlight that the moon shined down on the Sinzu root. But she doesn't get her way often. And she doesn't get her way now as they only lights that come her way are more of the yellow paired ones.

It scares her, but she doesn't panic. She just holds position, looking all around to see what her next best course of action is going to be. Glimmer follows suit, doing just the same as she wanders her eyes, seeing new pairs of ominous gold peering in their direction. From the north, the south, the east…

But not the west.

"Adora," she whispers, gently tugging her sleeve to get her attention. The other girl meets her gesture, noticing too that the west seems clear of any strange lights. In fact, it seems unnaturally darker than the rest of the woods, maybe from the trees, maybe from just a lack of moonlight. Either way, there are no yellows, and that convinces them that this might just be their best path to take.

Were it so easy.

As they begin to scurry their way over, they realize that the monsters know they're here. They feel it with how the yellows of their eyes draw nearer more quickly, and how the sounds of leaves and branches being smashed become more frequent, louder with every passing second.

"Adora," Glimmer says again, this time with the worry clear in her tone. They managed to get this far, and they might be able to avoid the oncoming assault if they just hurry along as they have.

"Keep going," Adora sternly whispers, pushing along.

But her plan proves to be flawed as she feels her ankle becoming trapped. She gasps, "Huah!" as she looks down, seeing that a seemingly brand new vine has become entangled around her foot. "No!" she cries as she begins pulling and fighting, doing everything with her strength to try and get free from the snag. Glimmer realizes what's happened, and the panic becomes clear on her face. Before she can even say anything though, Adora yelps, "I'm stuck!"

Thinking, thinking, thinking. Glimmer's mind races to find the best way out of this. Teleport? Pull on her and try to help her out? Dig into the ground? Ugh! Why did this have to happen now with so many monsters gaining on them?! She wishes she could be better at handling these situations! They're always happening to her, after all!

But it falls out of her hands to make the next decision as Adora makes it for them. Without another word, she takes her gauntlet from her wrist, transforming it back into the Sword of Protection to use it to cut through the vines. They're really sturdy, and there's quite a few of them, but she hurries as fast as she can to slice through and free her foot without hurting herself in the process. And all Glimmer can do is watch. Watch her cut, watch the yellow eyes get closer and closer. "Hurry!" she cries.

Finally, Adora frees herself. But it's too late. They won't be able to sneak away now with the monsters so close. Even so, there are still no yellow lights shining from the darkness of the west. They can still escape. "Run!" she yells, grabbing Glimmer by her wrist and pulling her along. Not only to keep her in the right direction, but to help support herself. Together, they run side by side, Glimmer letting Adora keep her wrist in her grasp, the two of them looking all around as the charred, black faces of the enemy creatures become visible in the moonlight. They want to keep running. They don't want to have to fight.

But they won't be able to. They know this now as they become surrounded.

For a moment, all of the creatures stop, just idling in a circle around the Princesses and staring to them with their awful yellow eyes. Adora and Glimmer get back to back again, trying to count how many there are, preparing themselves for any surprise movements. It's not entirely pointless, but they soon realize that they'll have to plan for offense.

Adora looks to Glimmer, and Glimmer looks to Adora. In each other's eyes, they see the same fears and worries that they feel in themselves. But knowing that they stand together, knowing just how powerful they can really be, alone and together, they push those fears down. They have to be strong, and they have to be brave. So Adora moves her hand from Glimmer's wrist to instead take her hand, and Glimmer accepts it to offer a tight squeeze in return, showing her that she refuses to go down without a fight the same way she won't.

No words. Just two pairs of eyes looking back to each other, and a nod of affirmation that's met with one in return.

"FOR THE HONOR OF GRAYSKULL!" Adora lets out as she raises her sword over her head, triggering her transformation into the mighty She-Ra. Again, her jacket and boots are exchanged for a white and gold uniform, and her normally dirty blonde hair becomes long golden locks. She rediscovers new strength and size, and she radiates with powerful energy that surges through her superior form.

Glimmer wishes she could just stare in awe at the majesty of She-Ra, but this isn't the case. As incredible as her strength is, she isn't invincible. She'll need help in fending off these devious beings. So she flares up her own magic using her hands, conjuring up her magic battle staff as well to ready for her own offense.

The creatures seem to sense the new willingness to fight from the Princesses. It's as if they share a hive mind, all of them changing demeanor as they only stay still for a moment longer, bracing themselves for a group attack. Adora sees it, Glimmer sees it.

And then… they feel it.

In a matter of seconds, the monsters lunge themselves at them, earning swift gashes from sword and staff respectively. And not only sword, but the others forms She-Ra allows her weapon to take. A mace, a staff, and even a lasso to tie around one monster and use it as a flail against another. Blood is shed from both the monsters and the Princesses as the battle wages on. But mostly from the monsters.

Glimmer doesn't have to rely solely on her staff as a means of combat though. She also conjures up orbs of energy, using them to singe and blind the enemies. As if her Princess magic isn't enough, Shadow Weaver's teachings for the art of sorcery also helps her when she creates a black hole for some creatures to fall into, never to be seen again. And in one instance, she teleports high above ground with one of the monsters, dropping it from the sky to let it fall to its demise before she safely teleports back to land.

At least a dozen, maybe even two dozen of the creatures try to oppose them. But all fail in their assault on the Princesses. Together, they fend off the monsters with desperation and rage fueling them both. They feed off one another's energy, using it to stay focused, to stay in control of the battle. They earn cuts and bruises from hostile claws, but adrenaline keeps them from ever stumbling.

Until finally, only one of the creatures stands. Together, Adora and Glimmer draw their weapons, ready to finish this fight with their mightiest blows. Sword and staff prove triumphant as they strike the monster, swiftly shuffling it from this mortal coil.

They have to take a moment to rest, to catch their breath after such exertion. Adora can feel the blood dripping from a brand new slash on her cheek, but she simply wipes it off before looking to Glimmer. Her hair's never been messier, and she too has some injuries scattered around her body. None on her face though, so at least one of them is lucky enough to be getting out of this without a scar. That is if they can truly escape the Forbidden Forest.

More ruffling from the woods indicates that their window to act is narrowing quickly, so they hurriedly get their minds back into working order as they look around, both racking their brains to conclude what their next best move is going to be. They remember the way no yellow eyes were visible from the west, so naturally they look to see if this has changed. And maybe they have some luck remaining, because fortunately, it hasn't.

They look to one another again, relaying the same message with only their eyes. However, the monsters' sounds are becoming more audible, and they realize they're going to have to move very quickly in order to evade another wave of them. Frankly, they aren't sure they can defend themselves from another.

So Adora doesn't waste any time in voicing her first thought. "Do you think you have one more teleport left in you?" she asks her friend.

Glimmer's eyes convey some worry and uncertainty about whether or not this is really the right thing to do. They aren't sure what lies in the darkness of the west, and when she can't see where she's teleporting, she doesn't always have the best trajectory. And her powers are weakening. She might be able to pull out one more teleport, but another? Probably not…

Even so, it wouldn't seem that they have many other choices. And she told Adora she trusted her. She told her because she meant it, too. So keeping that promise, she takes her friend by the hand, closing her eyes and focusing on her new path. Before Adora can even take a deep breath, she feels herself being blipped from the space she stands, being magically whisked through air in the literal blink of an eye.

It always takes her a moment to come to after being teleported, but she snaps back to reality as fast as her mind will let her. She scans the surroundings, being sure they'll be safe, being sure that no monsters or other threats are prevalent in the area. Thankfully, it would seem they're safe. For now at least.

Then, she sees it. A familiar light that takes her time to fully recognize in her mind's eye. At first, she thinks that it might just be Glimmer. Maybe she's conjured an orb, or she's firing a blast at a monster she failed to see. But upon laying eyes on the other Princess, she sees that she hasn't even opened her eyes, still rubbing her head and trying to recover from the last teleport. That doesn't change the fact that she sees a light, so she follows it with her eyes, searching until she finally discovers where it's coming from.

Her heart practically stops in her chest upon seeing the grass. She freezes, just staring at the view before her, dumbfounded that this could really be happening. It takes a few more seconds for Glimmer to come around and notice her friend is behaving weirdly, but it takes her less time to see just why as her own eyes follow the light, landing them upon a small patch of dirt with a single, moonlit plant growing from the ground.

She actually cries upon seeing it. It's real. It's really there. A second chance to make things right. Such a monumental discovery takes a toll on both of them, keeping from paralyzed for a moment longer before it's Glimmer who can make the next move forward. Still crying, she paces towards the second Sinzu root, falling to her knees as she comes closer towards it. "Bow… We're gonna save you Bow. We're gonna save you," she tells herself with a little smile, reaching her hand out to touch the magical plant.

All Adora can help to do is watch on, her own heart pounding in her chest with new hope swelling inside. They still have a chance to make everything right! To save Bow, to keep anyone else from being hurt, to… to make things okay with Glimmer.

It's quite amazing just how many emotions a person can feel in such a small amount of time, and it's proven to Adora now as all of the hopelessness and sorrow that filled her brim is jaded by a new light. A light that burns with the same faith she had in making her new promise to make sure Glimmer is never hurt again. A light that soon becomes easy to ignore as petrifying fear once again takes hold of her upon seeing the large, towering beast that steps before her friend.

"Glimmer!" she wants to shout, but it barely comes out as a scratchy whimper. Not that it matters, Glimmer sees the beast too, feeling her body shiver and shake before simply freezing. The new creature doesn't move, it just idly hovers over her, casting its enormous shadow over her as she slowly moves her eyes up to see the face of this mammoth. Unlike the smaller monsters, this one has no beady yellow eyes. No nose, no… no mouth. At least, she doesn't think it has one.

She's proven wrong as the creature unlatches its jaws, opening them wide not to reveal a hole where a mouth should be, but rather a giant, yellow eyeball.

Her body fails her in containing the fear. She has to scream. "AHHHH!"

That's when Adora's nerves finally allow her to have actual volume as well. "Glimmer!" she shouts, readying to lunge forward and try and help the Queen somehow. But it's no use. From where she stands, there's no reaching her before the beast. All she can do is watch, hope, and pray that Glimmer has enough power left to teleport away.

She does.

A flash of light, and she soon feels Glimmer beside her. "Run!" the Queen orders her, and while there's still some paralyzing fear taking over her, adrenaline soon becomes more powerful as her instincts and her instincts alone allow her to unfreeze and follow Glimmer in running as fast and as desperately as she can away from this gargantuan.

Glimmer breathes heavily as her heart beats like a drum, her legs tired, her head heavy. But she can't give in, she has to use what little strength she has left to save herself and her two best friends. So she grabs hold of Adora's arm, first using it only as support. "I- I…" she weakly musters.

"Glimmer?!"

Again, Adora feels herself being whisked like dust in the wind. In the time it takes to breathe, she fights the blurriness, shaking herself of any dissonance to come back to her senses. Again, the world around her is new and all too the same. Dead trees, darkness, cold. Three of the four hallmarks of the Forbidden Forest, only excluding murderous monsters. It worries her, but not as much as knowing Glimmer just teleported them for a third time in a row after fighting off a group of enemies. "Glimmer!" she calls again, turning to face the other girl.

Weakened by all of the energy she's exerted, she leans on Adora for support. She's caught in her arms, not even heavy enough to jostle her back. As much as she too has spent in trying to survive, her strength comes not only from wielding the sword of She-Ra, but also in knowing that her friend needs her. So she lets her lean as much as she needs to, keeping her in her arms to keep her safe. She can hear some indistinct noises from deeper in the woods, the tell tale that the monsters haven't given up their pursuit. But for now at least, she feels they can rest long enough to let Glimmer recover.

It isn't long before the Queen of Bright Moon uses the strength she has to shove herself off Adora enough to look to her face, enough to move just her left arm away to show her what she carries in her hand. "Don't let anything happen to this one."

Her eyes widen upon seeing that she was somehow able to recover the second Sinzu root. Just like the one before, it's small and delicate. It could easily be destroyed without proper protection. Unlike the first one though, it's Glimmer asking Adora to look after it.

All she can do it stare back into her eyes, seeing the desperation deep within them. There's no pride before a fall here, she just wants what's going to be best for everyone. And after what happened to the first root, she's firmly decided that it's Adora who needs to care for this one. And yet, despite knowing her reasoning, Adora refuses to accept that she can't handle this on her own.

"No. I know you can do this," she tells her, maintaining the mutual gaze between them.

She can see the concern it inhibits in Glimmer's dilating pupils, but she stays strong with her choice. "But I don't- I can't," she tries to tell her, but Adora persists. She knows it was an accident. There's nothing they could have done to stop it. In her position, she would have done the very same thing. While she knows her friend will try to hold on to that mistake as a reason to give up any faith she has in her ability to keep the root safe, she just won't. Because she knows Glimmer needs this a lot more than she maybe realizes.

That, and she knows how clumsy and reckless she can be.

So she uses her hand to snug Glimmer's around the root, keeping it their for a moment longer to feel her warmth, to show her what she says is sincere. "You said you trust me, right? Well, I trust you. I know you'll keep it safe."

The commotion of the lurking monsters grows with every second. They can't afford to spend too much of their time resting. But with what little time they have to spare, they keep this mutual gaze going between them, sharing the same worries, doubts, and insecurities without uttering a single word of them. Even so, the trust they can feel is much more powerful, so much more obvious. For Adora, she knows that the past doesn't define either of them. That this mission will, and the future after it. Because she knows deep down they can get out alive and save Bow.

For Glimmer, she just trusts that Adora believes this. And while she isn't sure she can believe in herself the same way… she's willing to try.

"Let's get the hell out of here already."


	6. Chapter 6

Glimmer wasn't a master of sorcery. Despite hours of teaching from Shadow Weaver, she never learned many of the things the former Horde sorceress was capable of. Or her father, for that matter. But just because she didn't teach her everything she knew, doesn't mean that she isn't capable of performing some truly amazing spells.

One of which is the decoy spell. A spell that allows her to project a hologram of sorts in the air, capable of looking exactly like she's standing there. Which more often than not works as a great distraction for enemies while she takes to planning new strategies. Or in this case, retreating.

The monsters catch up to what they believe to be Glimmer, but find that they are incapable of digging their claws into an artificial ghost. It keeps them occupied long enough to keep trying in an attempt to see just what's the matter, which is more than enough time for Glimmer and Adora to sneak along the path that will lead them back to their Skiff.

As clever as the trick is, it doesn't keep the creatures occupied forever. But Glimmer isn't the only one who has learned a thing or two about mind games. Adora's years of training as a Horde cadet also gave her some knowledge in flanking enemies. So the moment she feels that their position might once again be compromised, she halts Glimmer with an assertive hand to the chest, silently gesturing her to stay quiet with a finger to her lips. Then, she takes a stray rock that she's collected along the path, carefully considering just what she'd like to do with it as she listens for the monsters. She realizes where they're coming from though, and conversely, realizes where the best place to throw them off will be.

She tosses the stone as hard as she can towards the east, waiting to her any change before making any moves. For a moment, all I quiet, as if the monsters too are listening for change. But soon enough, she hears them shifting their course through the woods, going to the direction of Adora's toss rather than the Princesses.

She can't help but grin at her wit, and even Glimmer nods with respect. Before she gets to following her friend though, she checks to see if the root is safe… in her bra. Because, well, she wasn't sure where else to put it.

But hey, Adora doesn't question her decision. She trusts her. She truly does. So without another word about that, they make their way along the path again. Hoping that they're safe for now, Adors decides to take a moment to check her tracker pad and see just whether or not they're really doing well. Thankfully, upon observation, she discovers that they are.

"We're doing okay," she whispers to Glimmer. "Just keep quiet, and we should be able to make it out of here."

She isn't exactly sure what to say to that, but one thing does pop into her mind. And she decides it can't hurt anything to express it. "You're amazing, Adora."

These woods are bitter cold, but she feels her cheeks warm up hearing that.

They keep creeping along, their feet getting achy and tired just like everything else. They keep slow and steady, cautiously watching their steps and being sure to check all directions around them, even the tree tops, to be sure they're not seen. But no yellow lights appear through the branches. No crackling sounds emanate from them either. Frankly, they become a little concerned that things are going this smoothly. But they won't take it for granted, either. They don't let their guard down, and they just keep patient with themselves as they keep walking the path.

Minutes burn slowly like the moonlight, all quiet as they keep together. And while they focus on the quiet to be sure nothing is following them, their minds wander a little to other matters. To each other, actually.

Adora trusted Glimmer with this root even after she got the first one destroyed. Not only that, but she went behind her back to have Light Hope and Shadow Weaver both help her setting off the Heart of Etheria. She's done so many things wrong, and yet, her friends have always somehow managed to forgive her.

She knows Bow loves her just as much as she does her. It wasn't so surprising when they were able to talk things out and come to a new understanding over why they did and said the things they did. But everyone else? She sometimes wonders what could possibly make them see her fit to keep leading the Rebellion. Is it that she's Angella's daughter? The Queen of Bright Moon? Or possibly that she's earned their respect in battle? She isn't sure, and she's too afraid to ask anyone.

But Adora… of all the people who should not have forgiven her, she's the one. And yet here they are, fighting everything the world has to throw at them, and they're somehow doing okay. Like they always find a way to do.

She knows deep down she doesn't deserve it. That she doesn't deserve _her. _But… she's grateful. And she plans to make that perfectly clear when the dust of battle fades.

What she doesn't realize is just how Adora feels the same in almost every regard. She has her own doubts and insecurities, her own guilt she has to carry with her everyday. But friends like her have always made her feel worthwhile. Like she's doing the right things even if she does them the wrong way sometimes. Maybe even too often.

She makes her feel like they can get out of this in one piece. Like they can really save Bow and leave the last pangs of tragedy behind them. And if that's the case… hell, either way… she plans to make Glimmer understand her feelings. Whatever they are.

It's easy to only focus on each other with silence. But not so much when they both begin to feel new chills down their spines. Not from wind or cold, but from the knowing that they're not to be at peace for much longer.

"They're coming," Glimmer warns.

"I know. Just keep going. We're almost there," Adora responds, steadily gaining some speed. With every second, their hearts race faster. They speed up their pace. Cracking sounds become clearer, yellow eyes become visible. But they don't slow down. They just keep hurrying as the path before them becomes more familiar. They're almost there!

But just as they find that they're approaching the formidable wall of trees that makes out the border of the Forbidden Forest, they're met with the very last thing they had hoped to see. Standing at least ten feet tall, the same abominable beast from the garden of the second root makes itself known, walking directly into their path.

They abruptly come to a halt as they desperately stomp their heels to stop on their tracks. All they can do for a moment is stare at the large beast, measuring up this great foe, hoping there's some way around it. But with every direction they turn to, they see pairs of yellow. Left, right, back, forward…

They're surrounded.

This time, they know they can't afford any imperfections. This is it, the final stand. Between them and their freedom is a swarm of monsters, all led by a towering beast unlike anything they've ever faced. They have their sword and staff, but the toll of the battles has battered and bruised them. Yet they don't falter in the face of evil. They won't. Not with the Sinzu root in their possession, not with Bow's life depending on this battle. And they've been able to face everything thus far together. The two of them won't stand down. Not alone, not together.

Glimmer nods at Adora. She nods back. Then, she equips the Sword of Protection once again, channeling all of Etheria's energy to once again summon the Warrior Princess She-Ra. "For the honor of Grayskull!"

The monsters aren't intimidated by her transformation though. In fact, the beast steps forward, opening its huge eyelid to stare down at them with its horrible eye, as if to challenge them. If it's a challenge it wants, it's a challenge it will get. So the Princesses take their stances, readying to make whatever move necessary to fight back the oncoming storm. This time, it's them to strike first. Glimmer swiftly conjures up an orb of light, flashing a blinding ball of energy to stun their foes. Then, she continues her offense with her battle staff, striking the first creature she sees with a cracking whip right to the head. "I'll take the little ones! You focus on the big guy!"

It's a sound strategy, Adora agrees. So she follows orders. She trusts Glimmer to protect her from the smaller creatures so that she may concentrate on their leader, keeping her sword pointed at it as it stares at her with its eye. For a moment they're at a standstill as it just keeps staring, but soon enough it closes its eye again, ready to fight. It takes steps forward, preparing to throw a right haymaker at Adora. She dodges it just in time though, composing a strategy in her mind based on the beast's movements. She judges its speed, its power, its agility, studying intently as she waits for it to attack again. This time after evading a blow, she swings her sword, cutting through part of its enormous arm. It's not enough to critically injure it, but it's enough to draw blood.

While she duels with the beast, Glimmer keeps her promise to play crowd control. Using her teleportation powers, she blips from all directions, sneak attacking her enemies with kicks, staff swings, and singeing energy blasts all alike. One by one she takes them down, not succumbing to any of their follies. And somehow she's able to do it without getting a scratch on her.

Their strategy is sound, their execution is even sounder. While the beast is quite the formidable foe, it isn't too overwhelming for Adora, not with Glimmer helping her take down all the other opposition. She's able to focus her attacks on the beast, relying more on defensive counters than offensive maneuvers during their battle. When it swings, she swings back, trying to cut through its burly, thick skin with her sword. She tries stabbing it and kicking it, even throwing bolas at its leg to slow it down and open the window for an attack with a maul to the head. She uses her sword as a little bit of everything, all of it proving effective in weakening the beast.

The battle is long and tiring, but eventually, Glimmer teleports to another creature, sneaking up behind it and using the end of her staff to pierce right through its neck. She watches it fall over, then pulling her weapon back out and adjusting her stance, looking around again to see if any of its friends are drawing near. She's almost surprised to find that there aren't any left though. None left but their terrible master, at least.

Unfortunately, it's not the best timing either. Just as she realizes that the beast is the only enemy left standing, she also realizes that it too is capable of strategizing. As Adora tries to use her Sword of Protection as a lasso to wrap around its head, it catches the rope, holding it snug for a moment as it opens its eye for just a moment to look at its foe. Adora tries to use her She-Ra strength to yank it back, but the beast is stronger, and it pulls her in its direction to bring her into a punishing fist, one that knocks her several yards back.

"Adora!" Glimmer cries as she watches her friend get grounded by the terrifying monster. It's as if it doesn't even care that she exists though. It just faces Adora a little longer, studying and sensing her before pacing forward to finish the job. It sends a new surge of adrenaline through Glimmer's veins, making her chest pound as hard as ever knowing that her best friend is in imminent danger. What does she do? What line of defense does her offer to hold back such an impressive force? A sorceress' spell? Energy blasts? An attack with her staff? None of it seems like it will be enough to actually make a difference.

But as she looks again to Adora, she notices something. Her sword is not in her grasp. She hastily looks around to see what could have happened to it, and before long, she sees that it landed on the ground several feet away from the Princess of Power. Definitely beyond her reach.

The beast draws closer, opening its eye wide as it approaches her. Adora faintly lifts her head up in an attempt to recover after such a devastating blow, but she has little strength. There's nothing she'll be able to do to defend herself. She's not sure what to expect, but it seems to happen so fast. One moment, she was on top of everything. The Sinzu root, countering the ambush, slaying the beast. But now she's but a sitting target, waiting for this thing to finish her off with whatever it has planned. She isn't even totally sure what that is. She just knows that she hates the way it opens its large, insidious eye.

Even worse, she let Glimmer down. This thing is going to be the end of her, and regardless of what happens to Glimmer, she'll have to live with the result of that. It will weigh on her for the rest of her life. She's already lost so many people, and now she'll lose Adora. It might not bother her as much as losing her parents or the thought of losing Bow, and either way, the result breaks her heart. Either way, she just hopes she can make it out of her on her own with the root to sae their friend and carry on without her. If she can manage that, then this won't have been for nothing. None of it.

Just as she closes her eyes and braces herself for her last breath, the bright flash of pink light pervades her eyelids. When she opens them, she discovers Glimmer kneeling beside her, wielding the Sword of Protection. The seconds burn slow as she anticipates the beast's next move, but she times everything just right. She needs to be able to save Adora. So she holds her breath steady, keeping her stance until the perfect moment to strike presents itself.

"Yah!" she cries out with a lunge as she aims to pierce the beast's eye with the sword, shoving it as hard as she can right into the cornea. Blood and puss spews from the wound, but she doesn't slow down. She pushes the sword further in, really looking to finish the interloper off once and for all.

Finally, it falls to the ground.

Glimmer stands over its toppled body, struggling to save her heavy breaths as she stares at the carcass. She wants to be sure it's not going to suddenly pop back up and try to murder them again, and only when she's absolutely sure does her pace over to collect the sword from its eye. Adora meanwhile watches on, absolutely stunned by what she's just witnessed. All the thoughts that were just flowing through her mind a few seconds ago have become moot. She's not going to die now, all because Glimmer was there to save her with her own sword. She literally jumped right in harm's way just to help her.

She keeps watching as Glimmer takes the handle of the sword and yanks it from the beast, and only when it's safely been recovered does she let herself fall back, landing just inches away from Adora. Both their breaths are heavy, both of them feel the nausea of endorphins violently dying down in their bodies after such straining combat. It takes them a few seconds to really wrap their heads around being able to relax and bask in their victory, but once they do, they actually share a laugh over it. A laugh that lasts a short while as they look to one another, happy as can be that they've both managed to survive the onslaught.

They both have the same thought but never voice it. This should have killed them. This last battle, this whole mission, they would not have been able to survive on their own. Glimmer would have been crushed by the beast trying to collect the second root. Adora would have fallen through the ground that caved in on her within the first ten minutes of the mission. They couldn't have made it this far without each other. Not just in this mission either. But… everything.

The laughter dies down, but they keep smiling at one another as they keep this in mind. Even with dirt and blood and sweat drenched on their faces, they manage to really enjoy the view, finally taking time on this day to relax and let themselves just feel these pleasant emotions that come with looking into each other's eyes. They're safe for now at least, and they can afford the luxury of being a little happy.

They come to remember that their mission is far from over though. Bow's life is still at stake, and the root is the only thing that can save him. Glimmer doesn't stop smiling as she creeps her fingers into her shirt, pulling out the root and showing that its still in one piece. "Ta-da! I kept it safe," she tells the other Princess.

It warms Adora's heart to see that she was really able to pull it off. She knew deep down that she would be able to, but it's not the knowledge of knowing she was right that makes her so proud. It's Glimmer saving her life, being the person she can depend on most. Not just for this mission, but for always. "You did it," she simply says, not knowing how else to show just what she feels.

It doesn't seem to bother Glimmer though. She takes it for what it's worth, still returning a smile of her own as she places the root safely back into her bra. Then she takes a deep breath, sitting herself up to catch her breath and prepare to put the final steps of their journey into motion. There isn't any time to lose. "Are you okay?" she asks as the smile wanes now. "Did that thing hurt you?"

Adora was never good at acting, so she doesn't try. "It got me good, I won't lie," she admits as she sits herself up, but she fights through the pain. Nothing will slow her down this late in the game. "But we need to get going. The Skiff isn't much farther now."

Glimmer's face is adorned with concern as her friend stubbornly tries to stand up on her own without any help, then burdened with worry as she stumbles, just barely catching herself before a fall. "Adora!" she hollers, hurriedly catching her too. The Princess of Power meets her friend's gesture with apprehension, wishing it didn't have to come to this. But she realizes it really isn't in her best interest to refuse any help with her current position. Reluctantly, she lets Glimmer hold onto her, looking back to those spellbinding eyes of her just once more to find that thing she's looking for in them.

It's there, it's always there. It always has been, and at this point, she's convinced it always will be. She actually chuckles because of it, choosing to loosen up a little and trust her to carry some of her weight now. "I might need a little help," she says in a way that's supposed to be a little embarrassed, not so serious.

But, it charms Glimmer more than anything. So she laughs a little too as she gets herself comfortable with the idea of having to help support the other girl now. "I've got you," she simply says, smiling at her a little longer, again taking just a little more time to hold on to the way her smile makes her feel.

It's the slowest the time burns for a while, because once they get moving, it's as if they're already out of the woods. Nothing to show any signs of enemy forces gives way, be it sounds of leaves crunching, or yellow eyes shining, or even just the strange feeling like something is breathing down their necks. Nothing. It all goes quickly as they press onward through the wall of trees, almost like breaking out of the imprisonment of bars, or the encapsulation of mother nature's womb. Finally, they can be free to head home, to do what is needed to save Bow with what precious time they have left.

Every good feeling that came with victory and relief is flooded and drowned when they see their Skiff in shambles.

Both Glimmer and Adora feel their hearts sink down. They're almost convinced they're just seeing some sort of mirage, but no. It's real. They smell the smoke of the fire that burns before them. Something has come through and torn into their only means of escape. It feels like minutes before it actually registers for the two of them that they're in desperate need of a solution to their new emergency, but once they do, they make great haste.

"What do we do?" Glimmer worriedly asks.

Adora racks her brain. She doesn't know what happened to the Skiff, but right now, all she concerns herself with is the essence of time. They can't afford a single second to not make a move forward. So she pulls out her tracker pad, doing her best to boot it up as quickly as possible to begin making contact with someone- _anyone._

Glimmer can only watch with her heart pounding in her chest as the screen changes before her, Adora working to start a transmission to Castle Bright Moon. But even with this very important task to tend to awaiting her, she feels this pulling in her mind. A pulling that commands her to look to every direction, to keep her eyes, ears, and even nose alert for what could possibly be lurking. Because something destroyed this Skiff, and whatever it was, it may not be too far behind.

Finally, the transmission goes through, and the familiar voice of Princess Scorpia speaks. "Hey Adora! Woah, you are not looking so good," she begins, quickly realizing how rude it must have sounded. "I mean, you look good. You _look good, _just not, you know… _good."_

It barely phases Adora as much as the pressing matters though. "Scorpia! Listen to me!" she demands, the urgency clear in her tone. "We're on the border of The Forbidden Forest, south of the Whispering Woods. We have the Sinzu root to save Bow, but something destroyed our Skiff. These- _things _have been hunting us, trying to kill us at every turn. You need to send reinforcements to come find us ASAP!"

The Princess of the Black Garnet has never seen such seriousness and despair from her fellow former Force Captain. The soot and dried blood on her face makes it even clearer that their situation is dire, so she does her best to come to an understanding of what is being told to her as well as possible. "Okay, okay. Just calm down, Adora. Relax. I'll see about getting you guys a dropship as soon as possible."

"Now Scorpia!" Adora adds, the desperation getting to her.

It doesn't fall on deaf ears. "Okay! Okay! I'm on it! Right away!" Scorpia ensures her. It's the last thing they hear from her before ending the transmission.

How cruel the time can be sometimes. This is a thought Glimmer's had many times before. When her father disappeared, she cursed not having more time with him. When her mother went away, she cursed herself for not making more time for her. When she was trapped on Horde Prime's ship, she worried that all her time would be spent as a prisoner for the rest of her days. Today, she's hated how the time keeps bleeding, the time Bow has before it's too late. They've wasted so much trying to find and protect not one, but two Sinzu roots. Everything has been out to get them. The monsters, the life and death circumstances, and now this.

The timing itself is what she learns to despise the most. As soon as the transmission with Scorpia ends, she feels it. The certain doom that their safety is compromised. Whatever it was that destroyed their skiff has caught up. It's here. She feels it. She sees it soon enough as she turns her head to find that a beast just like the one before has snuck behind them, steadily pacing over, preparing to attack them with a critical blow.

There isn't any time.

"Look out!" she yells to Adora, shoving her to the side as powerfully as she can. And the time is cruel to Adora as she feels herself fall to the ground, almost unable to even see just what has her friend so spooked. Just as she whips her head back up, she watches as the other Princess is bombarded with a heavy haymaker from the beast, one that sends her flying several yards and crashing to the ground below.

"Glimmer!"

She looks to the beast. It doesn't even acknowledge her as it opens its disgusting eye to observe the damage it caused, waiting to see what Glimmer will do. Adora looks too, seeing that her friend is unresponsive. The blow must have reeled her unconscious. In a way, that's all she can hope for, anyway. "No…"

She's just so weak though. She wants to be able to jump up and start lashing out on this vile fiend with hacking and slashing, but her legs are almost numb. All she can do is pull herself forward a little, digging her hand desperately into the ground, hoping to get anywhere closer to the other girl and find a miraculous way to save her. But the lights dim with very second, with the way the beast seals its eye again and slowly trudges over to the fallen Queen.

Dammit! She can't afford to be weak! She has to get up! She has to be able to fight! But she can't find the strength. Her legs just won't let her rise up. Even her arms give way as she tries to push herself off the ground. She watches all the while, seeing the way the beast hovers over Glimmer, its malicious intentions becoming more evident with the way it picks her up with one of its hands, taking its methodically paced time in sensing her.

She can't do nothing. Even if she has to provoke this thing into taking her instead, she'll do it. Anything to try and save this girl she cares so much about. "Let go of her! Take me instead!"

It doesn't respond. It just proceeds to open its eye, staring directly at Glimmer's face.

Slowly, the Queen recovers enough cognizance to begin opening her eyes. She doesn't know what's going on. She may as well still be unconscious, she's so unaware. But her eyes keep opening out of mindless instinct alone, soon looking on to nothing but the sight of a bright yellow light boring into her soul… then blackness.

"GLIMMER!"

The creatures' purpose remains unclear for her, but Adora begins to form some understanding of just what makes them so threatening as she watches ominous golden rays of light blast from Glimmer's eyes and mouth. In a sight she never could have imagined or wanted to behold, its as if Glimmer's very soul is stolen from her the light guides itself like a whisp into the creature's eye, all of the life leaving her body with it. Before she even has a chance to truly fathom just what she's witnessed, the beast closes its eye, the glow radiating from its skin a moment longer before fading as if nothing even happened.

But it did. She knows it did as she watches and prays with tears falling from her eyes for Glimmer to do something. She never does though, her body staying cold, numb, motionless in the beast's grasp.

The monster hasn't finished yet. It turns to take its leave, still carrying Glimmer in its hand. She doesn't know why, she doesn't know where its taking her. All she knows is that it scares the hell out of her, and it makes her furious. "Come back! Please!" she hysterically begs, uncontrollably sobbing at the sight of it all. But her words aren't heard. The beast keeps moving, never turning back, drifting away into the woods.

The time is cruel. For a while longer, all Adora can do is lie there on the ground, staring up to the red sky as replays the image of Glimmer's reaping over and over again in her head. She isn't even sure she can begin to understand what she saw, but she knows it was catastrophic. Her life is quite literally in the beast's hands now.

And all she could do was watch.

The adrenaline she couldn't muster then begins surging violently through her veins now, compelling her to push herself off the ground. First her arms, then her legs. She's able to make it to her knees, facing up to the daunting red sky as she feels raindrops begin to speckle her face. A storm is coming.

She snarls. She screams. "AHHHHHH!" The rage burns inside of her like one thousand suns.

She doesn't know what that thing has planned, and she doesn't quite care. All she knows is that, Bow and Glimmer are her family. Her _everything, _and that bastard is trying to take them away from her. The strength she couldn't find is all too powerful now as she makes it to her feet, the rain falling harder with every second the unforgiving time takes from her.

The time is cruel. But she's She-Ra. And when she's this angry, nothing can stand in her way.

She pulls her gauntlet from her wrist, transforming it into her sword. The rain pours down on her, washing away none of the muck, none of the blood, none of the pain. But that's fine. A storm is coming. She's going to make sure of it.

"FOR THE HONOR… OF… GRAYSKULL!"


	7. Chapter 7

Adora isn't someone who gives up. Even when she's at her weakest, she perseveres through the pain. That's how it is as she trudges along her path, bruised, bloodied, and battered. All but broken. Even as She-Ra she can feel the pain of her injuries trying to subdue her, but she won't let them take her. Just like she won't let these horrible monsters have her. Stealth isn't an option anymore, not with so little time to catch up to the beast and Glimmer. So she keeps her sword drawn, using it to fell any enemies that stand between her and saving her best friend. Like lambs to the slaughter, they come after her one by one, sometimes shaking her up, but never truly slowing her down. She doesn't let them. It doesn't matter how hard the rain falls, she keeps pushing forward, literally cutting through anything that stands in her way.

Sometimes the beast leaves her line of sight, moving too far ahead for her to keep up. But she never truly loses it as she keeps following its trail, catching it in the distance methodically moving ahead. The rain keeps pouring down, the garrison of creatures doesn't relent, but she never gives up. Her sword is her bond, and she refuses to break it again as she keeps fighting, killing dozens of the monsters. Sword, spear, fists, she uses it all to break through the defenses of the lost souls of the Forbidden Forest, refusing to slow down. She can't afford to.

With every yard forward, she notices the changes. The trees become scarcer in numbers. The ground becomes steeper with more and more uphill climbs. The monsters seem to retreat, offering her much needed breathing room. It's at this point that she can't see the beast anymore, but she knows it isn't too far ahead. And she knows with the change that she's heading right into the heart of the forest, right where the creatures would like to have her and Glimmer both.

The true giveaway is the strange new smell that pervades the horizon. "Smoke?" she thinks aloud, catching the scent through the dirt of her armor and the dewey aroma of rain. Yes, it's smoke alright. And it's not so far away as the smell becomes stronger with every new step she takes. While stealth wasn't her best option pushing into this uncharted territory, she decides its best not to draw attention to herself going forward, laying low as she traverses one more hill to climb. On the other side of the hill, she watches as the smoke rises into the air, even with the rain falling down on the earth below.

There can't be fire where there's rain, but nothing in this forest plays by normal rules. So she doesn't dwell too hard upon it. Not with her only concern right now being the Queen of Bright Moon being dragged away from her like a lifeless ragdoll. The thought of that being the last image she'll ever have of her is petrifying. Whatever the beast did to her, it reeled her to being a vegetable, really. Be it some kind of otherworldly magic or dark science she can't possibly explain, the beast stared into her eyes and took what made Glimmer human. She doesn't know how, she doesn't know why, and the scary truth is that she may never know. That's a consequence she can live with if she can fix things.

That's what really scares her. _Can _she fix them? Has the damage already been done? Is there anyway to get Glimmer back now? If she can't…

She doesn't cry. She can't no matter how frustrated she is. Despite the pain of her body and the anguish of her spirit, she has so much adrenaline pulsing inside of her. Instinct alone keeps her going, whether it's the soldier she was made to be, or the hero she was supposedly born to be, something inside of her keeps her from crying or falling to her knees. All she does is look forward, even with so many reasons not to.

She keeps as quiet as she possibly can as she maneuvers around the few trees that encompass the top of the hill. Slowly she creeps further into the center, the smell of smoke becoming strong enough to nearly burn her nostrils. She lurks around the corner of the tree she shelters herself behind, looking to see the fire that emits the smoke. It's a large blaze of an inferno built in the very middle of the site, the place that would seem to be the nest of the creatures. Apparently they're capable of building fires, so there's much more to them than being mindless zombies.

Biology lessons can wait though. Her focus is Glimmer, and finding out just what has happened to her. She scans all around, the only things really sticking out being the yellow eyes of the monsters. In her heart, she knows she'll have to kill them all. But she doesn't bother counting. The only eye that really matters is the one of the beast, and she knows it won't show it so conveniently.

Just as she's about to change her position and take to another tree for vantage, the devil itself trudges its heavy footsteps from behind a group of the clustering creatures. It still has Glimmer in its arms, cradling her bridal style as it steps forward. Adora feels her heart sink in her chest as she begins to understand just what the creatures have in mind for her. They built the fire to put her body inside.

With that realization, she cautions making herself known, hurriedly stepping out from the woods to let them know that they'll now have to face She-Ra. "Hey! Monsters! Over here!" she cries out, brazenly stepping forward into the open. Her plan works, they all turn to face her. At least two dozen, maybe even more, pairs of yellow eyes all look upon her, croaking their necks and retracting their claws. To them, she's just another victim to prey upon. To her, they're all just obstacles. Obstacles in her way of the one being that won't open its eye to her.

The beast stands idly by with Glimmer in its arms still, refusing to grow excited over the sudden commotion. It will let its flunkies do its dirty work for it. Like Adora, its only concern right now is the Queen.

But Adora won't grant the beast the satisfaction of just standing by. Taking as much advantage of the opportunity of strategization as she possibly can, she keeps her guard to her, making absolutely sure they creatures won't try to take offense before she risks making the first move herself. There might be many of them, but she has her powers. She has her fire burning inside of her, the same one that kept her and Glimmer pushing through the darkness.

That's not the only fire she has, either. The one beside her keeps blazing despite the rainfall. She knows her sword will hurt with how naturally dangerous it is, but once she understands it would hurt a lot more if it was scalding hot, she places the Sword of Protection's blade inside the fire, letting it heat up the blade as much as possible until its molten hot. At just the right moment before she can harm herself from the warmth, she pulls the blade back out, the normally blue hue of its shine having been replaced by blazing orange.

Both hands to the handle, she takes her stance. Then, she takes them on. "AHHH!" she cries out as she charges towards the nearest creature, slicing it in half down the torso before flowing seamlessly to the next target.

And that's how it is for a while. She isn't sure how long, even. Minutes? An hour? She can't tell with how many creatures she bludgeons to death, all while her body aches and pains more and more. But she can't let the hurt stop her now, not with fate so close to being certain. It doesn't matter how many of the monsters are able to see through her attacks, sneaking in lashes with their claws. She fights harder and harder, slashing back through their limbs and bodies with the greatest of ease. She becomes thankful that they can't speak, she can only imagine the screams they would let out with the singing blade cutting through them. She doesn't want to kill, but she has to.

Sadly, there's an exception for the beast. She wants to punish it for what it's done to her friend. So with some of the smaller monsters taken care of, she transitions her offense to the leader, throwing her blade directly into its closed eye, perfectly piercing through. It drops Glimmer on the ground, using its hands to try and pull the blade out and subside the agony.

She sees it. Glimmer's been freed from its grasp! There's still several monsters left, all coming from every direction, but she has some breathing room. Enough space to plan her next move. The beast is distracted, critically injured possibly. There's enough distance that she can hurriedly use her powers to summon the sword back to her, equip it as a gauntlet, and go and recover Glimmer and run as hard and as fast as she can away from this terrible place. She considers it for a moment. It could be possible.

But she knows she can't. It would be great if she could, but she knows how weak she is. The only thing keeping her from crashing is sheer adrenaline. If she took off with Glimmer now, she'd just be making the two of them targets. There's no telling how many more of these things there are, but… she realizes now what she has to do. It's the only way to be sure she can save her loved ones.

She has to kill every single one of them.

Knowing this, she uses the resting period she has to extend her hand forward, channeling the magical bond she has with the Sword of Protection. She watches as it trembles and shakes inside the socket of the beast, the power she has compelling it to come back to her. She's able to use that power to telepathically pull the blade from the evil creature, sending its handle flying back into the grasp of her hand.

The storm is here, she feels it as the scalding sword empowers her. The evil comes from every angle, all of these shadows taking shape and taking shag. But she doesn't let the pain bother her at all. She firms her resolve, the fear of death or consequence all but escaping her as she prepares to unleash hell upon the final wave of monsters. Including the beast.

It takes time to recover from Adora's attack, but eventually, it pushes aside its own agony to face the threat of She-Ra. A horribly scarred and burned wound burdens its eye now, but it still opening its socket to show that it won't be silenced so easily. Then it stomps forward, turning the undivided attention it had for one Princess to another.

The fury of its blows could be devastating, so Adora focuses on defensively avoiding them now as she dodges it attacks. Not only is the beast huge, but it's also very quick as it keeps throwing punch after punch, hoping to knock out this annoying pest that's invaded its home. But Adora doesn't kneel, not even for a second. Every creature that tries to intercept her, she meets it with a stab or a slash. Every attack the beast throws at her, she escapes it. Like a rat escaping the clutches of a cat, she narrowly whisks her way through battle, desperately trying not to fall to any of the opposition. She can't allow a single imperfection in her technique, and she wears that heavy weight with every roll, every sidestep, every stick and move.

But there's so much she can do, so much she's capable of. She doesn't test her limits, she works with them as she's able to eliminate her threats one by one, picking them off like the rodents they are. Until finally, there's only the beast.

They both realize it, stopping to convalesce. The bloodied and dismembered corpses of the strange creatures lie in abundance, the only deviation being the body of Glimmer. She's just as lifeless, but not anywhere near as cold. Adora knows that inside her there's still something worth saving, that somehow, she can bring her back to the waking world. She doesn't know how, but she knows one thing. She's only going to be able to do it if she can take down this one last beast.

The fire keeps burning, the rain keeps falling. And even after everything that's happened tonight, her heart is still beating. Her lungs still breathe. It doesn't matter if her ribs are broken, or if she's got lacerations from head to toe. As long as she can stand and fight, she will.

So she keeps her sword drawn, boring a hateful stare into the wounded eye of the wicked beholder. Whatever power it was able to have over Glimmer, she resists it. She isn't afraid anymore. She's got everything to lose here, and everything to gain. If this monster wants to kill her… she's going to give it a hell of a time trying.

The rest is over. Finally, the beast steps up again, throwing another haymaker. Adora ducks it, coming back up with a stabbing attack right into its side. She keeps pushing as hard as she can, hoping that this will be enough to finally subdue the creature. But unfortunately, it's not. And even worse yet, she finds that she's made an error in trusting this attack so much. She underestimated both her own strength as well as the resilience of the beast, because she isn't going to be able to pull the blade out in time to avoid its next attack. An attack that comes a little too quickly for her liking.

It strikes her, sending her reeling to the side. It wasn't so powerful as to truly debilitate her, but it was more than enough to create distance and remind her of her injuries. Not only that, but it costs her her sword.

She looks up to see the beast too has to recover, the sword still piercing its body like a pin in a ball. It doesn't try to pull it out, it just lets it remain there as it chooses its best to just keep fighting. It knows it will have the advantage now having robbed She-Ra of her mightiest weapon.

It's going to be an uphill battle, she understands this with dread. But upon fixing her eyes on Glimmer's body once again, it reminds her just what's at stake, why she's fighting to begin with. It's all the incentive she needs to stand back up, to look this danger in the face, sword or no sword, and keep trying to be the hero that she's supposed to be.

This isn't about being chosen, this isn't about swords or wars or bringing world peace. This is about surviving. Plain and simple.

So she wipes the blood from her lip, audaciously gesturing the beast to bring it on with her fingers. The beast is more than happy to oblige too, throwing another punch that she just barely avoids. Where she has lost her sword, she's kept enough strength to maintain momentum. Something the beast has more trouble with as its attacks become slower and heavier.

Like the fire to the rain, nothing seems to bring her down. Even with every odd stacked against her, she keeps fighting, relying on only her fists and boots to punch and kick the beast. Its face, its ribs, it sternum. It tries as hard as it can to land any desperate attack on her, but she evades. Every single attempt is blocked, dodged, or countered. A knee to its head stuns it enough to leave it open to a legitimate beatdown, one that she channels every bit of strength she can muster into. Punch after punch she tears into it, sending it reeling back farther and farther, until finally… its back is to the flame.

She knows now that she can't be beat. It knows it too. She could offer mercy, she could stop now, take her sword from the beast's belly, go over to Glimmer, and make her escape. But she won't. She knows she can't. If she doesn't finish this creature off, it could just hurt someone else someday. And, more selfishly… she knows she has to do this to save Glimmer's life.

So she looks into the bloody, burnt eye of the monster, letting it know with this powerful gaze that it has to reap what it has sewn. Steadily, she brings her hand to the handle of her sword still crammed inside its side, and slowly, she begins to take it out, churning and twisting to be sure it hurts as much as possible.

No words are needed. It won't hear them. It might not even understand. All it needs to know is that its fate has been sealed. So with one final move, Adora puts all of her strength into a straight kick, pushing the beast back into its own fire.

The exhaustion finally takes its toll on her, causing her to fall back, nearly fainting. Fortunately though, she doesn't fall unconscious. She can feel herself changing from She-Ra back into Adora, her foggy head raising up just enough to watch as the body of the beast is engulfed in fire and flames. The seconds burn slow like the dead anomaly, the pace of the raindrops metering along with them as the body is slowly reduced to ashes, the fire slowly dying with it.

As the blaze burns away, she watches as a new light takes form from the decaying carcass of the beast. Like the light that shined as it reaped Glimmer, it shines blindingly bright for a few seconds, but soon enough the lights all go out. Once again, there's a world of darkness around the Forbidden Forest. But even as the black permeates the air once again, Adora can feel a light burning inside of her. She knows now that she's won.

Her body wants to stay, to give in to the temptation to rest here for a while, maybe even forever. But her spirit keeps fighting, telling her that she needs to get back on her feet again. The mission isn't over. This isn't about her, she's nothing special. Not without her friends she isn't. So she holds onto that as tightly as she can, making it back to her feet, looking over to Glimmer.

She can't go any faster. Steadily she paces over to her friend, holding her arm as she wonders just what the extent of her injuries really are. It's such a heart wrenching sight to behold as she comes closer, hovering over the fallen Queen, watching as she slowly breathes with no life in her breaths. She falls to her knees again now, but not from the exhaustion.

"Glimmer?" she tries to call to her, but there's no response. "Glimmer?" she tries again, feeling tears well in her eyes. Slowly, she rolls the body over, looking to her face. So peaceful, so beautiful… but not alive. Not the way she's supposed to be.

This can't be how it ends. She refuses to accept it. Not after everything they've been through together, from Thaymor to new dimensions. Yet, here she is, cradling Glimmer's body in her arms, getting nothing in return from her. She breathes, she's warm, but there's nothing else to take. Whatever the beast did to her… there may be no going back now. That thought scares Adora more than any strange monster or darkened forest ever could.

While they were able to pick up some pieces and make things right, there's still so many things left unsaid. Things she wished she would have said sooner, even before she became Queen. Things about her appreciation for her, and how much she's cherished her friendship, even in the bad times. Things like… like the truth about how she made her feel today. Like how she made her feel like, for the first time in a long time, she isn't so alone. Or how she felt wrong being told her intimate thoughts about marriage. It all hurts so much to think that these things will never get said, that her best friend could be leaving her forever.

She cries. Not hard, not feverishly; but the tears fall down her cheeks as she holds Glimmer tighter, bringing her closer into her embrace to hold on to the warmth she offers as much as she possibly can, hoping to somehow reach deep down inside and help her awaken some latent strength. "Glimmer… Please wake up. Please…"

Nothing. Not a word. Glimmer stays still, and although she feels warm in Adora's arms, she feels this cold numbness coming over her. This can't be how it ends. It just can't be. But no matter how hard she cries, or how painfully her heart aches for her to open her eyes and say something, she gets nothing.

Even worse, she can hear them coming again. The same awful noises that make her neck skin crawl manifest. "No…" she whispers as she turns her head, looking all around. She can see the yellows of their eyes appearing one by one, all slowly making their way towards her from all directions. But she can't fight anymore. Her body won't let her. Her spirit is all but broken. But a tiny voice whispers in her mind. She's lost. Hope is gone. But she must go on and do the next right thing.

What little bit of strength she has left comes from the warmth she feels from the girl in her arms. She uses it to empower her, to help her lift Glimmer up with her knees, to help her get to standing. And once she's able to stand, she knows she can't afford the luxury of slowing down. She takes but a moment to examine her surroundings, and once she finds any sort of opening through the forestry, she hauls forth. Glimmer's lifeless body is heavy, and every single muscle in her body singes with pain.

But she can't give up. Everything she's ever loved depends on this. Even with the monsters pursuing her still, she brings her battered body to keep running, keeping cautious of the dark world ahead of her. She keeps her feet from tripping, she watches for the yellows of evil eyes. They don't make it easy to keep a straight and narrow path, seemingly spawning in the most inconvenient of places. Her closest call comes as a creature appears just before her, causing her to nearly slip over her scuffing boots. But she levels herself, fixing position and evading certain suffering. She couldn't do this on her own, she knows that with every step further into the treacherous unknown. Even without her words or her fighting by her side, she keeps the images of Glimmer's smiles and her violet eyes in her mind's eye, both giving her tremoring strength to keep pushing on.

She can feel her tracker pad vibrating in her pocket, hearing its buzz. She hasn't been forgotten, Scorpia is on her way with who knows how many reinforcements. It won't matter if she can't make it to the end of the line, though. There's no hope for anything good to come out of this if she can't just push a little harder, just until she escape. Not for herself. She doesn't care about herself if she doesn't have her friends.

If she doesn't have Glimmer.

She knows she's slowing down. Her feet hurt, her knees are failing on her. The weight of Glimmer and the pressure of everything that's happened today all press down on her backbone just inches closer than the monsters that are almost able to reach her by her ponytail. And yet, she keeps running. She's seen the path she's on before. She knows now that there's something beyond this darkness and beyond these woods.

She grits her teeth. She clutches Glimmer as tightly as she can, not even realizing how she mumbles her name, repeating "I've got you… I've got you…" to herself over and over again as a mantra of sorts to let her and herself know that it's not over yet. Through teary eyes, she sees light wanting to bleed through the darkness of a wall of trees. It doesn't matter that her cheek in bleeding, like so many other cuts and scrapes and lacerations on her skin. It doesn't matter that the monsters are almost to her, eager to tear into both of them more and more. It doesn't even matter that there's probably no hope in finding another Sinzu root. All her mind can hold onto at this very moment is the faint cracks of hope glimmering through the night.

In the amount of time it would take for a creature to grab her by her throat and end it all, she feels herself pushing through the trees, making her way back out in the fresh air of the open. The light adulterates the blackness of her eyelids, giving way to shades of blue, purple, and red. She can smell the same smoke and soot of the broken down Skiff they rode here on, the one where they were able to talk about some of their deepest feelings. She got to hear Glimmer then in a way she's dreamt of hearing for so long, and now… now…

She can't keep going. She has to fall to her knees, the breath leaving her. Her heart pounds like a drum in her chest, every inch of her trembles, and not from the cold. She can feel tears and drops of blood running down her cheeks. But more than anything, she feels relief. She's made it out of the woods. This small victory is enough to bring her the strangest satisfaction she's ever known, enough to inspire her to finally stop running, to just kneel here for now.

There's no more rain. There's no more fire.

There's no more monsters.

She looks all around, and she doesn't see a single soul. No yellow eyes, no crunching sounds from creeping feet, no cold, bitter claws trying to dig their way into her body. No, it's just her now. Her and Glimmer.

And a buzzing tracker pad in her pocket. She almost doesn't want to answer it so that she can just succumb to the urge to just watch Glimmer in her peaceful rest. But the deepest voice in her mind, the one that allows her to be the hero she both wants and needs to be in the worst of times, tells her that she needs to answer the call. So she reaches back to her pocket, her arms slow and weak, her fingers shaky. She's able to loosely grip on to it, to bring it forward and rest it on Glimmer's body for a little while as she accepts the transmission.

The image of Scorpia's face comes to the screen. She wears her worry well as she begins to frantically speak. "Adora! Oh sweet crabapples, I was starting to think you were a goner!" she bluntly states. She realizes she could have maybe chosen her words more carefully after she says them, but she then realizes that it might not matter much from the way Adora looks back to her. Her eyes are bloodshot and teary, distanced. Almost like they're not even really looking back. The nasty gash on her cheek is bloody, almost as dark as the soot and dirt that's come to her face. "Oh gosh Adora… Are you alright?"

In the simplest of terms and clearest of definitions, she is not alright. But she doesn't dwell on it. That same pragmatic voice inside her speaks up on her behalf. "Just hurry. Please."

That's all that needs said. While Scorpia takes a moment longer before ending the transmission to really study the anguish on Adora's face, she doesn't prolong this anymore than necessary. She realizes that it's probably best to give the Warrior Princess a little time to decompress before her imminent arrival. Soon enough she ends the call though, leaving Adora to do just that.

She doesn't even move the tracker pad. She just fixes her eyes on Glimmer, analyzing every inch of her that she can see, hoping to find something lively. Fidgets, twitches, anything. Anything to let her know that her best friend isn't just a ghost in a shell. But nothing happens. No matter where she looks, Glimmer doesn't move. The only sign of vitality comes from her slowly heaving chest, just barely drawing enough breath to stay alive. If it can even be called that.

It breaks Adora so much. She can't stop tears from welling down her cheeks, every nerve in her body shot with shock and adrenaline as she cradles this girl she cares so much about in her arms. She's never been more desperate for anything in her life the way she is for Glimmer to come back to her. To smile, to laugh, to cry with her the way they have so many times before. To burn bright even when everything else is worth letting fade to ash.

"Glimmer… Please… I need you…"

It doesn't matter anymore. It doesn't matter that she made it out of the woods. Another beast or monster could sneak up behind her and crush her with one blow and she just couldn't care less. Without Glimmer, nothing matters.

Despite the numbness, she feels some flicker of emotion beseeching her to grieve, to pull the fallen Queen in tight to hug her tightly, to cry into her embrace as if she was with her anyway. So with nothing left to do, that's all he hopes for. The one certainty that she can control and expect success from is this gesture, this one act she can offer her friend now. To simply let go of everything that she had worked and fought so hard for, and to just cry with Glimmer in her arms.

They won't bring her back. Crying never fixed anything. But it feels damn good to cry, so she does, all while reminiscing in the joys her best friend offered her for so long. She taught her how to just have fun and relax, how to be the way normal teenage girls are supposed to be. She taught her how to be a Princess, how to take care of her friends and the people she loves all while somehow managing to be a hero and do the right things, too. She made the impossible possible, she somehow evened every odd in even the most difficult of fights. Even when they were against one another, she could respect her. Admire her. Love her.

But none of that matters now. And nothing can bring her back. So she just cries.

One lesson that she also learned from her was that sometimes, a person just has to roll with it. Sometimes, they can't be in control. Sometimes, it isn't what they do or believe in that creates results. And while that can be catastrophic in many cases and ways, it can sometimes be a good thing.

Every once in a while, luck runs out. But every once in a while, it comes back.

"Adora?"

She feels a freezing come over her. There's no way she actually heard it. It was just her imagination playing tricks on her with all of this exhaustion and stress and possibly even brain damage. That was just a voice. What really makes her consider just how crazy she might be is the way she feels a little arm twitching against her own, slowly creeping up to her shoulder blade as it reaches for something to hold on to. Maybe not even for support. Maybe just to know that they feel.

That's when Adora opens her eyes, leaning back enough to look down to Glimmer's tired face again. This time, instead of lifelessness, softly shaking violet eyes flutter open and shut, open and shut, open and shut until they can finally stay open long enough to concentrate on the ones looking back to them.

Just when Adora thought she had run out of tears to cry, the waterworks start flowing again, an overwhelmed smile coming to her face. This isn't a dream. It's not a nightmare. It's Glimmer coming back to her, letting her know that it all matters after all. She can't find words to say about it because they just keep choking in her throat, and she can't even get her fingers to move to stroke her cheek or hold her hand. They just won't move. She can't do anything but look deep into Glimmer's eyes, another brand new fire invigorating inside of her with the rebirth of hope.

For Glimmer, the struggle is similar, but a little different. It's like she's woken from a dreamless sleep, and she's just trying to convalesce and remember everything that brought her to this moment. All the memories try to flood her mind at once, everything from the honor of Grayskull to the last feeling of pain that came from her skull hitting something very hard. Above all though, one thought crystalizes like a sparkly blast, burning with importance as it desperately works its way into her synapses.

Her fingers shake and shiver to her chest, slowly creeping their way into the hem of her shirt. Adora watches with some of the greatest anticipation she's ever known, not even sure what she's supposed to be looking for, but knowing that Glimmer showing this much life after the state she was in before is the most phenomenal and important thing in any universe she's ever thought possible.

It isn't so long until she's made to understand such a simple, yet such a gravitationally astounding fact.

"I kept it safe," Glimmer utters, holding the Sinzu root between her fingers.

Seeing that little green plant standing high between her fingers brings Adora a different kind of numbness. This one is a little more comfortable. Much more welcome. This is the flag of victory waving before her, letting her know that the mission is a success. All the pain and angst and bloodshed will have been worth it if they can just get this little root to Bow in time.

She feels a smile encroaching itself proudly and passionately across her face, not wiping it clean of all the grime, but giving it a new glow that more than compensates. Glimmer then feels herself being swaddled with more loving squeezes, Adora holding her gently and crying into her shoulder. It's more than fine though. She may not have as much reason to cry as vague memories of the two Princesses being attacked by strange monsters become outshined by the sight of several Skiffs all making themselves known in the distance, but she welcomes the affection. After all, even in those sleepless dreams, it was Adora. It's always Adora.

She almost doesn't even notice the garrison of troops coming as she continues losing herself in her emotional moment, but she eventually gets with the program as she turns her head back, watching as Skiff after Skiff stops and parks in the field. Rebellion soldiers armed with mazer rifles all hop off and draw their arms, scanning the perimeter for any hostiles. They're led by their Force Captain Princess Scorpia, who makes a bee line for her fellow Princesses. She stops as she gets close enough to hover, a bewildered expression coming to her face upon seeing them. It was one thing to see the dirt, grime, and blood over a small tablet screen. In person…

"Adora… Glimmer…" she simply utters, the usual mirth in her tone missing. All she can help but do is to stare at the girls for a short while, taking in every inch of them. Their pain, their dejection… and their triumph. She isn't sure what all to say about it, but she knows one thing she wants and needs to ask for sure. "Are you okay?"

In the simplest terms and definitions, they're not all right. Not when considering everything that's happened. But for now, holding each other with the coveted Sinzu root in tow, they're okay. They don't need to say it, they just feel it as they gaze to one another's eyes once more. Glimmer is still coming around, but she sees the tired eyes of Adora much more clearly now. She knows they're feeling so much hurt, but above all, she sees they way they glosson because of her. It brings her warmth, the same warmth she was able to feel earlier today as they stood together.

She doesn't stand again, but she feels that same warmth keeping her comfortable as her hero keeps cradling her, standing herself up to up and make it to the Skiff on her accord. Maybe it's stubbornness that keeps her from letting Scorpia or her troops give a helping hand, but Glimmer doesn't really think so. She thinks maybe she just wants to stay warm too for as long as she can before she inevitably has to let her go.

Ever so gently, she makes it happen as she lies her down on a makeshift resting place that the troops have prepared for their Queen. She slowly lies her head down on a pillow, carefully tucking her down, never letting go of her hand even when she's rested. Those eyes never leave, either. Almost like she feels afraid to look away. But Glimmer lets her know there is nothing to be afraid of as she keeps looking back, the life and glow all resonating beautifully and powerfully in her eyes. There's no loss, no emptiness. Everything that the damned beast somehow stole from her is back and perfect.

Scorpia watches the two of them as the Skiff takes off, riding out into the dusk without any stragglers. No one was left behind for reconnaissance, that wasn't the order. The order was simply to recover the Queen and She-Ra, and that's what they did. Even so, Scorpia can't help but be curious, as she often is.

She looks to Adora, who can feel grey eyes. She turns to meet their gaze, the same combination of pain, exhaustion, and relief permeating her aura. "What happened back there?" she grows the gumption to ask, hoping not to sound pushy at all. She doesn't though. Adora can see that she's just worried.

But there's no reason to worry about the two of them anymore. Not as long as they have the means to save Bow's life. The monsters, the beast, the fire and rain, they don't matter anymore. What matters is that they're safe now. And when they get home… things will get better. She promises herself they will. "I'm… not even sure," she belatedly answers Scorpia. She gives it a little more thought too as she wonders if there's anything else to really add. She really isn't sure what happened, or why those things were there and hunting them. She'll never forget, but at the same time, she'd really like to. Which is what triggers the next thought she has, one that she sticks to firmly as she voices it aloud. "But we are never going back."


	8. Chapter 8

"It's getting better."

The Princesses didn't waste any time getting the Sinzu root back to Entrapta. Fortunately for everyone, she was able to break down the enzymes that the plant produces into an antidote for Bow's sickness, curing him of the virus that was slowly poisoning him. Two days later, the Best Friend Squad reunites in the resting room where the Rebellion's tech master and master archer is treated, catching up on lost time with smiles on all of their faces.

"Well that's good. You're getting the color back in your cheeks, at least," Glimmer jokes, reaching out to pinch her childhood friend's face. He just laughs and brushes her hand away, taking notice to the way Adora laughs at him too.

"And your cheek has never looked cooler Miss Badass Barbarian," he tells her, pointing out the fresh new scar on her cheek. It will forever serve as a reminder of the terrible Forbidden Forest, the mission that reminded her what fear truly was. It was also the mission that allowed them to share this moment though, so she doesn't too much offense as she covers it up with her fingers.

"Heh, I wish it didn't. But thanks," she simply says, her eyes turning away from Bow's and meeting Glimmer's. The look they share isn't a very long one, but it's enough to make them both happy to see each other. To be here together.

And of course, they're more than happy to be joined by their third best friend in their trio. "I should be thanking you! I know I've said it like, a million times already, but you guys really mean so much to me. I'll never be able to repay you for saving my life," Bow tells them, choosing to put aside playfulness for sincerity again as he takes their hands.

"You're our best friend, Bow. We love you," Glimmer reminds him, cherishing the touch of his warm, vibrant hand again. Just a few days ago, there was nothing to feel. He was cold, numb, lifeless. It's a feeling she never wants to have again, to feel so close to losing someone she loves. It's a feeling Adora knows all too well, and she keeps that in mind as she feels his touch too, looking to him, then looking to her.

She doesn't want things to be so morbid though, so she tries to make another lighthearted attempt at lightening the mood. "Besides, if you do want to find a way to repay us, maybe you can have your dads make us some more of that crembroule stuff they brought to the ball," she jokes, earning her laughs from both Bow and Glimmer.

She still feels Bow's hand in hers, and she sees Glimmer's holding his too. But she can't help herself, she has to look back to the Queen's eyes, looking for the reminder of the warmth they make her feel every time she sees them. Glimmer looks back soon enough, and she smiles this meak, soft smile that swells Adora's heart with joy. So much so that she decides to act upon it, reaching her free hand to take hold of Glimmer's. And she happily accepts it, choosing to hold on to her hand and keep smiling at her, losing herself the same way in this powerfully charged gaze.

They don't realize how Bow moves his pupils back and forth between the two of them, considerately studying them for the while as a little grin curves on his face. Before he can say anything about it though, their moment of privacy is interrupted by one of the Queen's royal guards.

"Queen Glimmer?" they call to her, breaking her from her reverie.

"Huh?"

"Your majesty, I'm sorry to intervene. But your Aunt Casta is sending a transmission. She says it's important."

She really doesn't want to break this spell she's under, and she keeps holding the hands of her best friends a little while longer before deciding she has a duty as both a Queen and a niece to take this call. Only then does she reluctantly disengage from them. "Everything's important with her," she curses. But she fixes herself a genuine smile for both Adora then Bow as she remembers how good things are going. "I'll be right back guys. Don't talk too much about me."

"We'll only say the mean things," Bow quips as her weight shuffles off the mattress of his bedside

"Yeah, like how short you are," Adora adds.

She just makes a silly face at the two of them, then offers more smiling before taking her leave into the hallway with the guard. Now alone, Adora and Bow take a moment to each have a breath of air, then fix their eyes to one another to break through the momentary silence. It never was hard for the two of them to strike up conversation.

"I'm so glad you're getting better," Adora says to him, choosing to leave palling around aside for a bit now that she has some time with him to herself.

"Believe me, I am too," Bow starts, some of the weakness in his voice showing. Despite being cured of his ailment, he's still recovering from some of his symptoms, including fatigue. It doesn't stop him from wanting to catch up with one of his favorite girls in the world though. "The worst part of all of this is that while I was in a coma, I kept having the same nightmare over and over again! Sea Hawk was inviting everybody to sing shanties with him on the Dragon's Daughter VII, but he liked everyone's singing except for mine!" he reveals, only somewhat jokingly.

Adora laughs into her hand. "That really does sound awful."

"It was the worst dream I've ever had," Bow exaggerates, happy to make her laugh like this.

"Well, now that you're awake, you have nothing to be afraid of. We all know your Sea Hawk's favorite," Adora assures him.

"I hope so," he answers with a grin. However, some of his enthusiasm wanes as a more serious matter comes to mind. "The other thing bothering me is how I got sick in the first place. And why your Etherian magic wasn't enough to help me get better."

It doesn't bother Adora to be reminded of her shortcoming. She's way past that after the last forty eight hours. No, what bothers her is that there is reason to be genuinely concerned about this situation. It's still important to figure out how he got sick for many reasons, including making sure it doesn't happen again. For him or anyone else. "I'm not sure either. But trust me, you and I will sit down with Entrapta and see what all she thinks. Hopefully she can lead us to some answers."

"And hopefully I just ate some bad crembroule," Bow jokes. A fluke would be the best case scenario. But he makes it clear that he doesn't want to dwell on these things right now as he shifts the conversation into a different and unexpected direction for Adora. "So, enough about me. Time to address the elephant in the room. What's going on with you and Glimmer?"

She almost has to do a double take to make sure she heard him right. It's not like he didn't say it clearly or anything, she just feels a little flustered all of a sudden. "What? What about Glimmer?" she nervously laughs.

He doesn't seem impressed. "Oh come on. I see the way you two have been gawking at each other," he claims. "Something happened when I was out, didn't it?"

With a little more time to digest this sudden interrogation and the way it makes her feel funny, Adora tries to think of her best way to approach this. It isn't like she hasn't been thinking about Glimmer _a lot _these last few days, or like she's embarrassed to even admit it. It's more that she isn't so sure what's making him ask these questions. "I- Bow, I really don't know what you mean," she settles for saying, hoping maybe he'll give her more information to paint a clearer picture.

"Sure you do! You make googly eyes at her, she makes googly eyes at you. I see how it is. You guys finally had me out of the picture so you finally decided to act on the tension," he jokes, earning him a laugh from her that comes from both nervousness and a sudden feeling of amusement.

"What?! Bow, come on man."

"See! You're blushing! Something is totally up!"

She feels her cheeks reddening. Suddenly it's not so easy to keep her mind in one direction as she thinks of all the possibilities. Not only out of curiosity as to why Bow is suddenly so curious, but also just the things she tends to think about lately. Things about Glimmer, and what's next for them now that the worst is seemingly over. "Okay, seriously though, nothing is up! We just…" She trails off, losing what she thought she wanted to say. She realizes now what she really wants to know, where she really wants to tackle Bow's offense. "You said we've been looking at each other?"

He smirks. "Adora, I've known Glimmer longer than I've known anyone besides my parents. I've seen her look at people. Boys, girls… but I've never seen her look at anyone the way she does with you," he explains. That alone was enough to make Adora's heart start beating faster, but his follow up practically makes her ears burn with warmth. "I've always suspected she had a crush on you. I just wasn't sure until now."

"Always? Bow-" she tries to start again, but words keep escaping her. She doesn't know what to say or what to feel. There was so much uncertainty because of how vague everything was before. But now the uncertainty comes from places of doubt and disbelief, places of insecurity that have been there for months. She's never been sure that she's really as good a friend as she needs and wants to be. She's always second guessing her choices because she's worried about what they'll mean for the people she loves. Now? Now she just isn't sure what to make of this.

Luckily, Bow is pretty confident where she isn't. "So, let's try this again. What happened?"

He doesn't rush her. He just waits patiently as she racks her brain, trying to think of where to even begin explaining herself. She needs to, she knows that now. She has a problem, and as always, her first course of action when realizing there is a problem is trying to find a way to solve it. But this isn't a bad problem, she doesn't think. It makes her feel warm in a way she hasn't ever really felt. She doesn't get nervous when thinking of battling bots or riding into battles anymore, but this? It makes her feel so strange. "We just… we fought together. Nothing kept us apart. Even when it got… really bad. We stuck together," she speaks up, choosing to just say what her heart is feeling instead of overthinking things. It isn't easy, but she knows it's the easiest way to do this.

Then she remembers when she started really feeling this way.

"When we were riding on the Skiff on our way to the Forbidden Forest, she said something. She told me that sometimes she thinks about getting married. She said that she thinks about having someone there to help her with things."

Although Adora's smile fades with insecurity, Bow has to keep grinning. He feels proud and happy to be seeing this new side of her. Even so, he doesn't want to be patronizing. Rather than get excitable, he decides to simply ask a question in hopes of exploring her thoughts further. And selfishly being a little nosey. "Did she say anything about a special someone?"

Adora feels her heart sink. She remembers how it made her feel when Glimmer told her the truth about this, and now that she has Bow being so considerate and supportive for her, the way he always does, it makes her feel guilt ridden. At the same time, she wonders how he'll take the news. "She… did, actually. She said she's thought of asking you."

While she wasn't sure what to expect in a response, she wasn't so sure she'd expect him to roll his eyes and smirk the way he does. "Spoiler alert," he teases, as if it isn't even a big deal. It makes her momentarily reconsider everything she thought she knew, but before she can dig too much deeper, he takes the lead in the conversation once again, directing it back towards Adora. "Okay, I'm done joking around, sorry. But uh… okay. Did she say anything else?"

So many different thoughts and feelings swirl in her heart and mind, but at least Bow is capable of keeping things so casual. He makes it so easy to trust him and talk these things out, to really dig into her own mind and decide what things are most important to say and do. At least the things that pertain to her feelings for Glimmer. "I mean, she said she wants things to be right for everyone, you know? She was being herself," she says with an amused little scoff. She finds herself smiling now, thinking of how much she really does appreciate her. The way she puts her friends and kingdom above everything else, the way they can get so worked up… They really have a lot in common. She does so many things to make her feel loved and appreciated in return, to make her really feel happy. And it shows with the way she doesn't stop smiling.

But there's still doubt. And it makes it hard to really know where she stands. So she sighs, trying to think of what she even wants to say to Bow next. "I don't know. It made me start thinking of things. Like…"

As he expected, she can't really find what she wants to say. But he's over it. He knows now what he suspected is true, and that's enough for him to jump to a conclusion in this case. "You need to talk to her," he states, resting his hand over hers. He offers nothing but compassion and understanding in his touch and his face as he looks to her, letting her know that he believes in her. But even then, she isn't sure she's ready.

"What?"

"Adora, tell her how you feel," he starts again. "I wouldn't be saying this to you if I wasn't sure it wouldn't go well. She's your best friend. She looks up to you. She believes in you. She always has. I think if you just take some time to talk about things... I don't know. Maybe they might go really right."

She wants to believe in the smile on his face and the mirth in his eyes. She wants to believe that her feelings aren't unwarranted, and that she might just be able to make something magical happen because of them. But for every fiber of hope that rises in her being, there's a shadow of doubt. Something that turns her smile into a frown. "I don't want to push her away again."

Realizing what makes her so scared, Bow offers another encouraging gesture by resting his hand on her arm. "You could never push her away. Or me. We love you Adora. I know _she _loves you," he tells her. Hearing those words, that Glimmer _loves _her… it makes her know now just where she really is. What she really wants. There might be a risk in making a move so drastic, but she knows that there just might be a wondrous award too. If Glimmer really loves her, _really _loves her…

She makes her mind up as Bow adds one last thing. "And I know you love her."

There it is. The truth. These feelings for Glimmer aren't anything she's ever had for anyone before. She's been close with people, she's cared deeply for her friends. Catra, Bow, Scorpia, Entrapta, Sea Hawk, Angella… everyone. But the way she feels about Glimmer goes much deeper. That's why she got jealous of Bow, that's why she risked her life against the monsters and beasts to get to her. She loves her. "I think I do," she admits, her cheeks blushing with the confession.

It's almost enough to make Bow actually squeal with excitement and just totally begin spazzing out about how awesome and fantastic this all is, but before he gets the luxury, the aforementioned Queen of Bright Moon makes her return to the room, this time with a doctor instead of a guard. It takes everything that Bow and Adora have to act calm and casual, like they weren't just talking about her, but thankfully they're able to save face enough.

"Alright, sorry to bring bad news, but the doctors say you gotta get back to sleeping," Glimmer tells him, earning jeers from both her friends.

"What? Boo!"

"I know, I know. But you really need your rest! Just because you're cured doesn't mean you're all the way better," she reminds him with a nurturing tone as she returns to the bed side. Although she meets his gaze first, being sure to rest a comforting hand over his arm, her eyes soon return to Adora, almost like she's got some kind of tractor beam that makes her irresistible. A little grin curves on her lips, and Adora meets it with the same warm, fuzzy energy she offered Bow with her confession. She doesn't want to hide it anymore. She smiles this way because of her, and she hopes deep down that she can see it, and that maybe she can even feel the same way.

But for now, there's the matter of Bow, and the physician makes that clear as they step forward. "You should really wear something over your stomach, too," they point out, unamusingly darting their eyes at Bow's crop top.

He gets straight faced. "Okay Doc I will sleep all you want me to but I am _not _wearing anything over these abs," he bluntly tells them, causing the Princesses to roll their eyes. Again, they find an excuse to meet eyes, but this time, Adora tries to actually make some conversation. It's not enough to just stare at her with puppy dog eyes, and she knows it. "What did Aunt Casta have to say?" she asks, remembering just what made her leave the room in the first place.

It surprises her, even flusters her a bit as she tries to scramble for an answer. "Oh, uhm, just some catching up. Asking about Bow and stuff," she says with some nervous laughter.

Totally not suspicious at all. But Bow still decides to make an inquiry, asking "And stuff?" before turning to meet Adora with an eyebrow raise. It makes the girl feel a little flustered herself, but thankfully Glimmer has a grace of tact to get the conversation going back to Bow.

"Nothing important. You just worry about getting some rest," she orders him, fixing his blanket a little. He petulantly frowns at her, but she just keeps grinning all brazenly.

"Alright, _fiiiiine. _I guess I'll try to sleep some more and not have awful, terrible dreams about everyone having better shanties than me," he complains.

"What?" Glimmer asks, genuinely confused by this.

Adora just laughs as she takes initiative, standing herself off the bed and onto her feet again. "Don't worry about it. Bow's going to have pleasant dreams, and he's Sea Hawk's favorite," she tells him with good humor before getting serious again, taking his hand as she tells him, "We love you Bow. Seriously."

He puts the tomfoolery aside as well as he smiles at both of his best friends. "I love you guys too. Thanks for everything."

They don't have to say anything. They know what happens next. All three of them huddle in close, wrapping their arms around one another to exchange warm, fuzzy feelings. It's a reminder that as bad as things have gotten in the past, nothing is stopping them from getting a lot better going forward. For Bow, for Adora, for Glimmer...

Their eyes meet again. They smile. For Adora at least, it's a tell tale. Bow was right. She needs to tell her the truth. And she will… if they can ever get some alone time again.

"Oh it feels really good to have a Best Friend Squad hug again!" Bow cries as they all break away, finally freeing the archer to get back to his recovery. Glimmer takes this as the time to take initiative herself, choosing to take the next step into leaving him be.

"Alright, alright. Show's over, we're leaving. Sleep!"

"Yes mom," he simply tells her, understanding that this far from goodbye. They'll see each other again soon enough. And if he has his way, things might be a little different between his two best friends. _"Tell her!" _he silently mouths to Adora.

She doesn't say anything. She just glances to her Queen, then back to him. She hopes that the soft smile on her face will be enough to let him know that she plans to make good on her new promise, and that's what she confidently leaves him with, knowing that he has faith in her. And if he can, then maybe she can have some faith in herself.

So begins following Glimmer out the door, starting to race her mind towards the new goal of opening up to her. She doesn't know how she'll do it, she isn't even sure if she'll do a good job. But she knows there's a chance worth taking here, and that alone makes it easy to make these steps behind the woman she loves.

But like so many times before, something gets in the way, making her shift priority just when she thinks she won't have to. This time, it's the same doctor from before, the one who warned her about the terrors of the Forbidden Forest. She feels some of her enthusiasm leaving her as she looks into their eyes, seeing some of that same anguish that they felt recalling the horror of losing the person they loved to the evil place. Then, she wasn't sure she could fully sympathize. Now… all she can is wear remorse as they meet faces.

They offer no judgment though. Just a nod of respect. "I'm happy you guys made it back. I really am."

She has nothing else to say to that. The scar on her cheek and the fact that she stands beside Glimmer speaks enough volumes. Even so, she wants them to know that she's sorry. And she wants them to know that she understands now. "Thank you."

It's all that needs said between the two. The doctor is the one to take initiative next as they make their way over to Bow, ready to begin some brief diagnostics before letting him rest. Adora watches them walk away only for a moment before returning her eyes forward, finding that Glimmer has a look of concern to offer.

Again, she finds there's no need to let shadows loom over light. Yes, the scar on her cheek is very real. But so is the fact that Bow is alive, he's going to be healthy, and they three of them are going to be okay going forward. They might even get better than ever. That's the thought that makes Adora smile next as she looks to her favorite violet eyes, eyes that never looked more beautiful than they do now. And lucky enough for her, a smile compliments them as they stare a little longer, just enough to see that they're on the same page.

With that, no more obstacles can get in their way. It's finally just the two of them, and Adora has her chance to make brave steps forward in her new personal mission. The seconds burn too quickly as they leave the room and enter the hallway, stopping for a moment just to each catch their breath and take a moment to think about things. And while her heart and her mind races with similar anxiety, fate proves to be cruel as Adora freezes, failing to find anything else to say except...

"So…"

While it feels like the end of the world for a couple seconds, she finds some relief when Glimmer laughs a sweet little snicker. "So… what now?"

"What now?" Adora repeats, unsure how else to unthaw herself from this awkward, unknowing feeling. But again Glimmer offers some relief with the way she smiles, keeping bright as she's able to think of something worthwhile to ask.

"Well, I don't know. What did you have planned for the rest of the day?"

This was new for them. Normally they knew exactly what to do and where to do it. But right now, there's nothing but open ended questions to be answered. In a way, it's intimidating. There's a certain comfort in knowing exactly what needs to be done. The more Adora ponders it though, the more she comes around to the idea of things being calm. "I don't know honestly. For the first time ever, I kind of just want to take it easy."

"Oh hi stranger, I'm Glimmer," she jokes upon hearing this. It gets Adora to chuckle. It's always nice when they can have fun together like this. Sometimes it's nice to just roll with it, as she once told her. And that's what she does as she notices Glimmer sort of playing abicus with her hands, pussyfooting her way around to speaking up some more. "Okay. Uhm, well, I was gonna go check on my garden. Maybe you'd wanna come?" she asks her, a sort of eagerness in her tone. At the same time, there's a little apprehension to her words. Like maybe she feels a little nervous too.

It makes Adora question just how much truth there was to the things Bow told her. What if she really does feel something between them too? What if this is her own way of trying to explore it? If that's the case, is there really anything to be afraid of?

Either way, whether she means it like that or not, Adora is happy to see her taking the effort to make some one on one time together. It makes her heart rate steady, it makes her feel a lot more at ease as she realizes they can just relax for a while. "You know, I don't think I've ever seen your garden," she mockingly thinks over. "Sure. Let's go."

Glimmer smiles a soft smile. For a moment, she just idles there, but after some thought, she goes ahead and wraps her arm between Adora's, locking them together so they can walk side by side so closely.

"It's a date."

* * *

Adora didn't take it easy. From the days she was just a child in the Fright Zone, she was taught that time isn't to be wasted. Every second of life counts in building up towards achieving a goal. Back then, she thought she wanted the world to herself. She thought she wanted to take the Horde by storm, Catra by her side, the two of them dominating anything that stood in their way. Of course, she realized on the day that she picked up the Sword of Protection that this wasn't what she really wanted. And for a while after, all she wanted was to bring peace to Etheria.

It's here now. Peace. No one is fighting. The only steps being taken to fight evil are proactive instead of reactive. And even then, it's really all be covered. Supply lines, a stable fighting force, no real threats to the Alliance. Now that it's here, for the first time ever, she really knows what it's like to be at peace.

Which, in a way, presents a new problem for her. Now she actually has time to think about what she wants. For a while after defeating Horde Prime, she had to put out fires. She had to make sure Catra would be okay staying in Bright Moon amongst former foes. She had to be sure those supply lines and fighter would be in tact, even when she couldn't be around. One by one she marked things off her bullet list, only putting them on hold when she found out about Bow's new disease.

Now? Now there's no goal. No missions. No emergencies or fires or impending doom challenging the fate of Etheria.

With all of those things done occupying her mind, no longer niggling like paranoid tapeworms in the back of her head, she thinks about the good stuff. The bullet points in her head are now a list of people to catch up with and see how they're doing really. She hasn't seen Mermista in couple days. She needs to make sure Scorpia and Catra are doing okay as the Fight Force Captains. She needs to check in with Bow and Entrapta and look into discovering what made him sick.

But that all comes later. Right now, one priority stands above all others. Glimmer.

The Queen of Bright Moon has never seemed happier. Unlike Adora, she's anticipated peace. It's all she's ever dreamed of. No more war, no more fighting, just moments for people she loves. Holding on tight to them and letting them know how much she truly cares. She wears it well like the beaming on her face as she walks with Adora, the two of them joining hands as she escorts her outside to her personal garden. The taller girl makes an effort not to let it be too conspicuous how she keeps glancing over to admire the way she looks, and every now and then Glimmer will glance back to direct that warm smile to her, embarrassing her a little as she knows she's been caught.

It doesn't matter though. She can't remember the last time she was this happy either.

Glimmer isn't the only thing that looks beautiful. Once outside, she takes time to really take in the view of the Queen's personal garden. The flowers of all shapes and colors are all uniquely gorgeous in their own ways, all complimented by the bright, sun shiny day that keeps them radiant and loved. "Wow…" she finds herself uttering.

Glimmer just grins at her. "You know that old saying 'stop and smell the roses?'" Adora doesn't say anything, she just looks to her awaiting the follow up. It comes in the form of Glimmer letting go of her hand to focus on picking a nearby rose, offering it to her companion. "Well, this one's for you."

It's technically a gift, which makes Adora blush a little as she accepts it. "Aww. Thank you," she tells her before taking a whiff of it. As expected, it smells delightful. Just like everything else that's so fresh and breathtaking out here in the garden. She keeps it to herself, holding it carefully in her hand as Glimmer paces forward a little more, taking good looks at all of her babies growing in the field. Adora chooses to create some small distance between them by staying behind a little, giving herself some room to think about where she wants to take this.

It's just the two of them, and they're in what might literally be the most gorgeous place in Bright Moon. Everyone is happy, healthy, and safe, and they've got a whole evening ahead. Glimmer has never seemed more bubbly in her life, and well… she's giving her flowers. Holding her hand. Maybe there was some truth to what Bow said after all.

But if there wasn't… well, she might ruin an otherwise perfect moment.

"Ahh," she murmurs in pain, feeling an ache in her side as she begins to walk ahead a little. Glimmer turns to face her, a little concern donning on her face.

"Did you prick yourself?" she asks.

"No. Still feeling it from the other day," she simply answers. It definitely suffices, and Glimmer finds herself staring at the scar on her cheek for a moment before snapping herself out of it. She wants to find the right things to say, but she isn't sure what it is just yet as she looks to her daisies for comfort.

The last thing Adora wants is for silence to overtake them, or worse yet, dreadful memories of the bad times. Like the ones they had as recently as the time spent in the Forbidden Forest. So she uses now as the time to ask the question she's been saving just in case awkward silence would fall. "I didn't realize you cared so much about your gardening," she starts, hoping to alleviate some of the tension.

It seems to work well enough as Glimmer meets the statement with some enthusiasm. "Yeah, I like coming out here when I can," she begins, pacing around in a little lap to get a good look at every plant, stopping to check some of their leaves here and there, thinking of how she wants to keep going. "I mostly started gardening because I need plants to perform some of my spells, but… it's also something Mom kind of got me into."

"Angella?" Adora asks, quietly, carefully. She doesn't want to risk making Glimmer feel sad.

The Queen doesn't falter though. She just serenely reminisces. "Yeah. She used to love gardening. I guess it helped her to be around something so nice and peaceful instead of war rooms and planning."

"It sounds like you know all too well," Adora hazards to guess, stepping forward a little more.

Glimmer just smiles. "I like watching things thrive. Not watching them fall apart."

For a moment, the two of them are quiet as they consider what they could say next. For Glimmer, there's comfort in looking to the greens of the plants she's helped give life to. It isn't a distraction, it's a canvas to try and paint her thoughts on. For Adora, the same can be said for Glimmer herself. She watches her, her heart beating faster and harder in her chest with every possibility making itself known in her mind and heart. What does she say? What does she do? Does she simply ignore the feelings most powerful swarming inside? It would probably be easier on them both in the long run. They can just go about their day, and she can ignore the whispers in her mind.

But nothing worthwhile is ever easy. She remembers that as the images of triumphs come to her. The first battle of Thaymor where Glimmer swallowed her pride to give her her sword. The infiltration of the Horde base where she told her to roll with it for the first time. Even taking the fight to Horde Prime when fractures riddled their ranks, the two of them included.

It won't be easy, but there's time on her side now. And rather than use it silently contemplating and wondering to herself about things that could be, she doesn't want to wait. What happened to Bow was a reminder of just how unpredictable life can be. How unexpected obstacles can interfere with good things all the time. She wants to show herself to Glimmer, to find the answer she's waited for all of her life. Not where she's from or what she is, but the person she wants to be.

So she swallows the fear. The same fire that kept her from giving up back in the Forest burns inside, inspiring her with every look she takes at the woman she loves. She doesn't have to hide. She doesn't have to be afraid.

"Can I ask you something?" she finally asks, feeling the strange juxtaposition of weight flying from her shoulders and her heart becoming heavy like a stone.

Glimmer can see there's something different. There won't be jokes told about whatever she wants to say. She's got something serious to discuss, and after everything they've been through, all she wants is to make her friend feel alright about things. So she does her best to keep casual, simply offering "Yeah. What's up?" as a reply.

Adora isn't sure what she feels with every new breath she takes. Fear? Excitement? Both? All she knows it she's ready to throw herself into something new, and while she can't be sure if Bow was right about her feelings being reciprocated, she wants to believe that, at the very least, he was right about one thing. Glimmer won't push her away.

So she braves herself, not using the honor of Grayskull or some Etherial magic, but just the things that make her want to be a hero. "The other day you said you thought about getting married sometimes. That you thought of how your parents were. Have you given any more thought to that?"

She almost regrets voicing these thoughts aloud, but soon enough, the inquisitive expression on Glimmer's face changes into something less ambiguous. She finds focus, ready to reveal her own truth in return. "I have, actually. That's actually what I talked to Aunt Casta about a little bit ago."

"Oh?" Adora simply responds, the beating of her heart pounding harder. She suspected maybe something about the matter was said between the two, but now she's certain. The only thing she has to do now is wait and see just what it was… and if somehow, some way… if it had anything to do with her.

Glimmer takes a deep breath, studying the leaves of a lily she holds before turning to face Adora again. A weak little smile comes to her face, nothing too excited, but definitely not anything fake or concerned. Complacent, really. "Well, I think she was right. I shouldn't marry someone just as a security policy. I'm inclined to think Mom and Dad would agree," she begins, still holding the lily. After a moment to hang on longer, she lets go, making her way back over to Adora. She does her best to meet her eyes all the while, but she can't help but timidly escape the gaze for the comfort of lifeless surfaces. "I have friends. I have the other Princesses. If anything would happen… I know my people would be taken care of."

Adora feels not only relief in hearing this, but also a surge of inspiration. "They would. I'd make sure of it," she asserts.

It makes Glimmer's smile shine a little brighter as she stops walking, instead just standing with her hands folded, skittish to do much more with herself. "I know you would. Which is something else we talked about."

Something they talked about. As in… her. Adora. Glimmer and Casta talked about her. It makes Adora's eyes widen a little to think that maybe it could have something to do with the very same topic they discussed regarding love and marriage, and she can't help but tense up with dying suspense, desperate for elaboration.

Glimmer takes her sweet time considering how she wants to approach this. Adora can see that there's some nervousness in her own eyes, something akin to the way she feels now. Whether it's good or not remains to be seen, but judging from the smile alone… she feels good about the way she slowly walks closer to her.

"Adora… I've thought a lot about you lately. About us. I know I made things really difficult with the Heart of Etheria. I really messed up a lot. But you always try to see the good in me. In everyone. I'll be honest that I've been trying to be more like that."

"Speak for yourself. I try to be more like you," she responds, having to laugh a little. Mostly out of disbelief, partly just because it makes her feel really warm to hear her say that.

Glimmer laughs too. "That's what I mean. All my life I've just wanted someone to believe in me. And… I have to be honest here. You make me believe in myself in a way no one else ever has. You're my hero."

She doesn't even know how to respond. She just feels herself shivering with a blend of anxiety and excitement, trying to take all of this in without making it obvious how much it really works her. "Glimmer…"

The Queen doesn't mind at all though. She just keeps smiling, now mere inches away from her friend's reach. "I guess I'm just trying to say that… I really care about you. I'm so thankful that you're in my life."

No more looking for comfort in plants and skies. Her eyes fix solely on Adora, a brightness in them that couldn't be any more pure and charming. It makes her feel like the heaviness in her heart can just go ahead and fly away with the same weight that pressed on her shoulders. "I care about you too, Glimmer. So much," she trails off, failing to find words right away to show much it all means to her.

She wishes she could say how she feels without bringing up pain of the past, but it's just not that easy. To really show herself, she needs to be honest, and she starts with those pains that have burdened her for so long now.

"Listen, I'm not… I've never been the best at showing people I care about them. I pushed Catra away, I pushed you away, I almost ruined everything. But when that monster did what it did to you…"

The welling of her eyes becomes obvious to Glimmer. There's so much turmoil going on inside of the woman she looks to, the one she shares the garden with. She wishes she could be more patient and just let her try to find whatever words she wants to say, but at the same time, she realizes maybe Adora would just rather not. Maybe she'd rather just here something to remind her of what they have.

So she takes her by her hand, minding the thorns of the rose. She only breaks the gaze for a second to look down to them, but she brings her eyes back into those perfect eyes where she can find what she's been looking for. "It doesn't matter anymore. I'm here for you. I'll always be here for you."

It takes Adora everything she has not to cry, and even then, tears slip away. She doesn't deserve this. She hasn't earned it. Even after everything they've been through, she's still made mistakes. She's still done wrong. And she can't hold that back from Glimmer if she really wants them to have a foundation of honesty.

"I need to tell you something," she says, almost in a whisper.

Glimmer sees the hurt. She sees that whatever it is troubling her, it's very important. Again, all she wants is for her to be alright. To be happy. So she tries her best to let this be known with the way she keeps Adora's hand in hers, the rose making for only a little comfortable distance. "Anything, Adora. Anything."

If there was any risk at all in talking about these things, she realizes now that they were miniscule compared to the confession she wishes to make now. There's no redeeming qualities to it. She was selfish, and she knows it. But more so, she wants Glimmer to know it. She can't live with this guilt anymore. "When you first told me you thought of asking Bow to marry you, I got jealous. I felt… I don't know. I felt wrong about it. I felt like…" she trails off again, losing her train of thought. This time though, she doesn't let herself fail. She can't. So even with the wrongness she feels, she decides that she has to speak from her heart. It's the only thing she really knows to do now, the spell being cast by Glimmer's twinkling eyes becoming too much for her to resist. "You're smart, you're caring, you're beautiful. You make me feel like I'm really someone special. Not the sword, not the hair, you."

She thought she'd at least get a glower for saying she was jealous of Bow. But no. Instead, all Glimmer does is blush, her pupils dilating as she mewls, "Aww. Adora…"

Truth or consequence, it won't matter now. She has to free herself from the storm inside. So she holds Glimmer's hand a little tighter, doing her best to stop crying as she stares into her violets. "You say you'll always be here for me? Well, I'll always be here for you. I'm not the type who could be a Queen, or someone who can lead the way you can. But Glimmer…"

This time, she doesn't trail off because she loses the words. She knows exactly what she wants to say. It just feels so hard as it lumps in her throat, because she knows once they leave her, there's no putting them back. There's no going back at all. Everything will change, one way or another.

And she doesn't want to feel afraid. She wants to be happy about the way Glimmer stares back at her, hand in her hand, her own eyes welling now. Everything that's been said in done makes her want to believe in and hope for the best. But even then, she can't say the words she really feels. Instead, her feelings come out in quite a different way.

"I don't even like flowers."

Glimmer has to laugh. "So let it go!" she says as she looks to the rose in their hands.

She didn't tremble. Here she is, they've come so far. That's all Adora needs now to find what she needed to gain enough strength in the saying the words she really wanted. The smile, the eyes, the fire… she knows now. Bow was right.

"That's- That's not what I'm trying to say."

"What are you trying to say then?"

The look they share is more powerful than anything either of them has ever felt. There's so much warmth, so much compassion. They fought through literal hell to end up in this heavenly garden together, and now, with nothing to hold them back… Adora finds what she needed. And they aren't words.

She drops the flower, freeing her hand to rest it comfortably on Glimmer's cheek. Her eyes narrow, slowly sealing shut in sync with hers as she leans in closer. She feels Glimmer's breath hitching just an inch away from her face, just like her own. This is it. Everything changes.

Finally, their lips touch, transforming into a powerful kiss that wipes away all doubt and the insecurities that have about the love they feel for one another. It burns slow, melting like fire and ice with the time they spend in each other's arms, locking their lips in a sealing bond that will last forever. It's as if the world around them is wind breezing in the garden, the woods of yesterday being long forgotten. They don't need to worry about any monsters or bad guys or anything of the sort. From here on out, they have each other. And that's all that really matters.

After what feels like minutes, they eventually break away from one another's lips, still holding each other in their arms as smiles come over them. With nothing left to be afraid of, Adora tells her now what she's tried so hard to get out.

"I love you, Glimmer. That's what I'm trying to say."

It's safe to assume the best, and Glimmer focuses on that as she holds Adora's hands, looking to the ground to work through her blushing before facing the girl she loves again.

"I love you too."

For a little while longer, they just look into each other's eyes, sharing all of these new feelings of care and understanding that they had only dreamt of knowing. No longer do they have to keep secrets. They can share everything together, finally ready to embrace the future.

"I'm so happy we're doing this," Glimmer adds, not in any hurry to go anywhere else.

Adora feels exactly the same way as she lets go of the fears that once controlled her. "I am too. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. By your side."

Glimmer just smiles at that. "Good. Because I like you too much to let you go anywhere else." She loves this, and she'll be more than happy to keep being mushy with her new partner for the rest of the evening. But no moments are allowed to last forever, and with so much to do, she decides she's had enough of the garden for now. "So… I think my garden's okay. You wanna maybe go see Entrapta? Ask her about Bow and stuff? I know it's probably driving you crazy," she speculates, not looking to overstay her welcome and make Adora overwhelmed.

To her pleasant surprise though, Adora doesn't seem to mind very much. "If you want to go talk to Entrapta, sure. I'll come along," she coolly responds. Then she wraps her arm around her shoulder, looking to hold her even as they walk back into the castle. "But afterwards, I really want to try more of this relaxing stuff. And I want you to join me."

Glimmer didn't ever think she'd hear Adora say she loves her, and she never thought she'd ever hear her say she wants to relax. But it's more than welcome, especially if it means she gets to feel this happy from now on. "I like the sound of that."

With that, they make their way back inside, holding each other close as they continue chrishing the love they now share. They don't know what the rest of the day will hold for them, or the days, the weeks, even the years to come. There's no way to ever be sure.

But they know one thing now, one thing that holds true. They'll always have each other.

As happy as it makes them, they can't even begin to imagine how happy it makes the third member of their Best Friend Squad, who watches with the cheekiest of smiles from the window of his room up in the castle. "I knew they'd get their happy ending. I just knew it!" Bow thinks aloud as his heart flutters with butterflies. It's as if he was never even sick with how good it makes him feel!

The doctor has no way of knowing this though, so of course they ask the standard question as they make their way into his room. "Alright Bow, are you feeling any better after some sleep?"

He doesn't have to think very long or hard about his answer.

"I've never been better, Doc. Never been better."

THE END.


End file.
